Militants Hold Around 300 People Hostage in Nikolskoye Monastery, Russian Defense Ministry

In the Nikolskoye settlement, militants from the "Aydar" national battalion have established firing positions within the grounds of the Nikolsky-Vasilievsky Orthodox Monastery, holding around 300 civilians and monks hostage. During the liberation of this settlement, Russian units neutralized some nationalists, while the rest fled. The hostages and the monastery buildings have not been harmed,” stated Major General Igor Konashenkov, an official representative of the Russian Defense Ministry.