A 15-year-old schoolboy has been detained in Ingushetia in connection with a mass knife fight in the village of Ekazhevo in the Nazran district. Three teenagers, aged 15, 17, and 19, were hospitalised with injuries of varying severity after the fight.
According to investigators, a conflict broke out on the evening of 30 May near the Iftar café on Dzhabagiev Street between several local residents. It soon escalated into a brawl, in which three victims sustained multiple stab wounds. All three were taken to hospital. According to law enforcement authorities, their lives are not in danger.
Initially, the Ingush Interior Ministry reported that six people had taken part in the fight and then fled the scene in three vehicles. However, video footage appears to show at least 15 participants. It later emerged that a 15-year-old teenager had been detained and is considered by investigators to have been involved in the incident. As of publication, no formal charges had yet been brought against him.
At the same time, two criminal cases have been opened against him. The first concerns hooliganism committed by a group of persons, while the second concerns the intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm against two or more victims.
‘The attackers, acting as a group by prior agreement, using violence and bladed weapons, grossly violated public order and demonstrated clear disrespect for society by organising the fight,’ the Investigative Committee said.
Under Russian law, criminal liability for a number of serious offences, including the intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm, begins at the age of 14.
The investigation is still ongoing as the authorities continue their search for other suspects.
The Investigative Committee stated that the investigation has been placed under the supervision of the agency’s leadership. The Head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Aleksandr Bastrykin, has also requested a report on the progress of the investigation.
Ingushetia’s Prosecutor’s Office likewise announced that it had launched an inquiry into the fight. Prosecutors said they intend to establish the causes and circumstances of the incident and assess compliance with legislation concerning the protection of minors.
‘If grounds are established, prosecutorial response measures will be taken,’ the agency added.
The cause of the conflict has not been officially disclosed. Published investigative materials claim that the fight suddenly erupted amidst personal animosity between the participants.
Ekazhevo is one of the largest settlements in Ingushetia and regularly appears in the republic’s crime reports. The village has previously seen armed confrontations and knife attacks. In the summer of 2025, a shooting incident there left two men in intensive care.
