A Russian volunteer soldier who threatened to detonate a grenade in public unless charges of desertion against him were dropped has turned himself in to the authorities after speaking with the governor of Bashkortostan, local media reported Wednesday.
Security forces cordoned off a section of a highway in the southern Urals city of Ufa in response to the armed soldier’s threat, according to the Ufa1.ru news website.
The outlet identified the man as Ildar, a 39-year-old volunteer soldier who had escaped while being transported to a psychiatric evaluation as part of the criminal desertion case against him.
Ildar, whose last name was not provided by Ufa1.ru, demanded to speak with Radiy Khabirov, the governor of Russia’s republic of Bashkortostan, in which Ufa is the administrative capital.
Ildar surrendered and handed over the grenade to Russian National Guard troops after speaking with Khabirov for half an hour, Ufa1.ru reported.
Videos of Khabirov urging Ildar — by phone and in person — to disarm before starting negotiations were published online.
It was not immediately clear whether authorities agreed to the soldier’s demands or plan to continue pursuing the desertion charges after his surrender.
“I guarantee, if there’s anything I can do for you, I’ll do it,” Khabirov was heard telling the soldier from his office by phone.
The incident was resolved within four hours, according to Ufa1.ru.
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