According to the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, the explosions in the colony in Olenivka, Donetsk region, were carried out by mercenaries of the Wagner private military company (PMC) (renamed the League) at the command of the PMC owner Yevgeny Prigozhin, the attack was not coordinated with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense of Russia.
This is stated in the message of the Defense Intelligence on its Telegram channel, Ukrainian News Agency reports.
"The explosions in Olenivka that led to the death of Ukrainian defenders are a deliberate provocation and an unprecedented act of terrorism by the armed forces of the occupier. According to available information, it was carried out by the hands of mercenaries from the Wagner PMC (League) by the personal command of the nominal owner of the specified PMC - Yevgeny Prigozhin. The organization and implementation of the terrorist attack were not agreed with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation," it says.
According to the Defense Intelligence, on July 28, a powerful explosion occurred on the territory of former penal colony No. 120 in Olenivka, which is now used as a place for holding Ukrainian prisoners of war.
As a result of the explosion, the premises where the captured Ukrainians were located were destroyed.
According to Russian sources, about 40 Ukrainians were killed, the number of wounded is being specified.
The explosions occurred on the territory of the industrial zone in a newly built room, which was to be specially equipped to hold prisoners withdrawn from the Azovstal metallurgical plant (Mariupol).
The equipment of the building ended 2 days ago, after which some of the detained Ukrainian defenders were transferred to it.
The Defense Intelligence considers the main goal of the attack to be the desire to hide the facts of total theft of funds allocated for the maintenance of Ukrainian prisoners of war.
According to intelligence, on August 1, a commission from Moscow was supposed to arrive at the "facility" to check the spending of allocated funds and the conditions for holding prisoners.
Since the real condition of the building and the conditions for holding prisoners in it did not meet the requirements of the Russian leadership, the "problem" was solved by destroying the room together with the Ukrainians placed in it.
The Defense Intelligence considers another goal of provocation the increase in social tension in Ukraine, to which, according to its authors, the death of the defenders should lead, given the great public interest in the fate of Azovstal heroes.
The head of the Defense Intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, called on all international institutions to express a tough position on the events in Olenivka.
Budanov noted that the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which is one of the guarantors of the security and proper detention of Ukrainian prisoners of war, should give a proper assessment of the events and make efforts to clarify the real circumstances and causes of the murder of Ukrainian defenders.
The head of the Defense Intelligence said that Ukraine requires immediate admission of representatives of Ukraine to the scene to study the situation and control the conditions for holding captured Ukrainian defenders.
Budanov also stressed the need to conduct detailed monitoring of the conditions for the detention of Ukrainian prisoners and ensure the safety of their lives and health.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation said that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out targeted deliberate artillery shelling of the correctional institution in Olenivka, 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 a cynical provocation.
Who we are: About us, Contacts. How we write news and our principles: Editorial code. We did our best. If you found this valuable – please support us.
To request a correction, please send an email.