Uzbek inmates who dug a 30-meter tunnel in Lipetsk sentenced

In October of this year, a court in Lipetsk issued verdicts for inmates who attempted and partially succeeded in escaping from a penal colony. According to law enforcement authorities, the prisoners managed to dig a 30-meter tunnel over the course of two months.

The six inmates — five citizens of Uzbekistan and one citizen of Tajikistan — who were serving time in Lipetsk’s general regime Colony No. 2, were found guilty under Article 313 of the Russian Criminal Code (escape from custody by a group). They received prison sentences ranging from 4.5 to 12.5 years.

Investigation materials show that the prisoners used pipes, shovels, and parts of cutting discs to dig the underground passage beneath the high-security facility. The tunnel, which passed under the prison fence, was completed by October 25, 2024, and the inmates used it to escape.

Five of the escapees were captured the same day, while the sixth was found and arrested on November 6 in the Tambov region.

Zamin.uz commentary:
This incident raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of the surveillance systems in Russian correctional institutions. Moreover, the level of planning and preparation shown by the inmates indicates that this escape was far from accidental.

What is your opinion on this case? Should such a prison break be considered a success — or a sign of systemic weakness?

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