Special forces detain men with rifle in Yekaterinburg

The incident occurred in Yekaterinburg near the Pyaterochka store on Gotvald Street. Special forces troops, armed with automatic rifles, detained three men, forcing them face-down into the snow.

In a video that surfaced online, security forces are seen aiming at the detainees and ordering them to lie on the ground with their hands behind their heads. Seized on the snow nearby are a rifle resembling a military weapon and a pistol.

This is followed by a dialogue between a Rosgvardia (National Guard of Russia) officer and one of the men. The officer orders: «On the ground, fast! On the ground, expletive! Lie down on the ground fast!» The man responds: «Guys, it»s not loaded!« The officer continues: »Lie on the ground, hands behind your head! Hands behind your head! Get down! Lie down, I said! Straighten your legs.« Then he asks: »What is this?« The detainee explains: »They«re just toys.» To which the officer retorts: «What, can toys be carried like that, in open access?» The man admits: «We didn»t know, brothers.«

According to a witness, these men were walking down the street and firing shots.

There have been no official comments from Rosgvardia (National Guard of Russia) or the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) regarding the incident.

In another case, a resident of the Urals was convicted for hooliganism after an incident in a hospital where he was waving dummy grenades.