Olenivka prison massacre
| Olenivka prison massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of war crimes in the Russian invasion of Ukraine | |
Barracks in Olenivka | |
| Location | Filtration camp on the territory of the former Volnovakha corrective colony (№120) Molodizhne, Kalmiuske Raion, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine (occupied by Russia, controlled by the Donetsk People's Republic) |
| Coordinates | 47°49′42″N 37°42′39″E / 47.82846°N 37.71093°E |
| Date | 29 July 2022 |
Attack type | explosions and/or fire in the building |
| Deaths | 53–62+ |
| Injured | 75–130+ |
| Perpetrator | Russia |
On 29 July 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a building housing Ukrainian prisoners of war in a Russian-operated prison in Molodizhne near Olenivka, Donetsk Oblast, was destroyed, killing 53 to 62 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) and leaving 75 to 130 wounded. The prisoners were mainly soldiers belonging to the Azov regiment who defended the Azovstal complex, the last Ukrainian stronghold in the siege of Mariupol.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said that the Russians blew up the barracks in order to cover up the torture and murder of Ukrainian POWs that had been taking place there, and Ukrainian authorities provided what they said were satellite images of pre-dug graves and intercepted communications indicating Russian culpability, while Russians suggested that a HIMARS rocket was shot from Ukrainian territory. Independent investigations based on the work of forensic and weapons experts, as well as satellite images, found that the Russian version of events is very likely fabrication and disinformation, as there is virtually no chance that the damage was caused by a HIMARS rocket and instead evidence suggests the prison was blown up by a bomb detonated within the building.
On 3 August 2022, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced his decision to establish a fact-finding mission, as requested both by Russia and Ukraine. However, Russia refused to cooperate with the UN and International Red Cross, and the fact-finding mission was disbanded. In July 2024, the Associated Press obtained an internal UN analysis that pointed to Russia as the culprit.