UN And ICRC Should Immediately Send Inspection Mission To Olenivka - AFU, SSU, Defense Intelligence, Ombudsman

The United Nations (UN) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) should immediately respond to the terrorist attack committed by Russia against Ukrainian prisoners of war, and immediately send their representatives to Olenivka for the purpose of an inspection mission. This is indicated in a joint statement by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense and the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"We demand from the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, which acted as guarantors of the life and health of Ukrainian prisoners of war, to immediately respond to the terrorist act committed by the Russian Federation. Immediately send representatives of the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Human Rights Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and representatives of the Joint Center for Search and Release of Prisoners to the territory of the colony in the village of Olenivka in the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk region with the purpose of an inspection mission," the statement said.

It is noted that on the night of July 29, an explosion occurred on the territory of former penal colony No. 210 in the village of Olenivka in the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk region, as a result of which a building in which Ukrainian prisoners of war were held was destroyed.

According to Russians, more than 50 Ukrainian defenders were killed, the number of wounded is unknown.

The statement added that on May 16, with the mediation of the UN and the ICRC, the process of evacuating the defenders of Mariupol from the territory of the Azovstal plant began. The evacuation format provided for the establishment of a regime of silence and surrender of the Ukrainian military to captivity with subsequent exchange under the guarantees of the UN and the ICRC.

On June 29, the first of the planned exchanges of prisoners of war took place, as a result of which 144 defenders returned to Ukraine, including 95 defenders of Azovstal.

"The key condition of the chosen format was the obligations of the Russian side to international organizations regarding the preservation of the life and health of Ukrainian defenders. This guarantee was cynically violated. On the night of July 29, on the territory of the former penal colony of the village of Olenivka the organized killing of Ukrainian prisoners of war took place,” the statement said.

It is noted that the planned nature of this crime and the commission of it by the Russian side are indicated by a lot of documented evidence, in particular, the deliberate transfer of fighters to a new premises shortly before the explosion, the analysis of the nature of the damage and movement of the explosive wave, the interception of militants' telephone conversations, the absence of shelling in this place.

“All this leaves no doubt: the explosion in Olenivka was a Russian terrorist act and a gross violation of international agreements,” the statement stressed.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out targeted deliberate artillery shelling of a correctional institution in Olenivka, Donetsk region, where, in particular, Ukrainian prisoners of war were held.

The President's Office called the shelling by the Russian Federation of a colony with Ukrainian prisoners of war in Olenivka, Donetsk region, a cynical provocation.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on the UN to visit Olenivka in Donetsk region to establish the circumstances of the killing of Ukrainian prisoners of war.