The Russians claim 53 dead and more than 70 wounded Ukrainian prisoners of war, including «Azov» soldiers who defended the city of Mariupol.
The propagandists traditionally accused the Armed Forces of Ukraine of «the shelling with HIMARS of the barracks where captured Ukrainian soldiers were».
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the armed forces of the Russian Federation carried out a targeted artillery shelling of the penitentiary facility in Olenivka, where Ukrainian prisoners were also held.
«The Russian occupiers thus pursued their criminal goals — to accuse Ukraine of committing „war crimes“, as well as to hide the torture of prisoners and executions, which they carried out there on the orders of the occupation administration and the command of the Russian armed forces in the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk oblast. The consequences of the shelling are being clarified,» the statement said.
According to the commander of the Missile Forces and Artillery of the Ground Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the AFU did not launch missile and artillery strikes in the Olenivka settlement area.
Missile troops and artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, thanks to the high-precision weapons received from partner countries, deliver extremely accurate strikes only on Russian military objects.
The General Staff emphasizes that the Armed Forces of Ukraine fully adhere to the principles and fulfill the norms of international humanitarian law, have never conducted and are not conducting shelling of civilian infrastructure, especially places where prisoners of war are likely to be kept.
Ukrainian Pravda's intelligence sources reported that Russian artillery strikes were recorded in the direction of Olenivka. The attack was from the side of the occupiers.
Another source reported that the other day, Ukrainian prisoners were transferred to the industrial zone, to this very barrack, which was attacked on July 29. «It was a barrack with „Azov“ fighters, they were transferred to it a few days before the shelling, we still couldn't understand why,» the source said.
The leader of the «Azov», Andriy Biletskyi, wrote in his Telegram: «This night, the Russians killed some of the captured „Azov“ regiment fighters. The Russian command framed the mass murder of prisoners as the actions of the Ukrainian army. The soldiers of the regiment were transferred to a separate building. We are collecting information about the victims and specific perpetrators of this war crime.»
He notes: that it is obvious that this was a pre-planned act of a country for which the concept of officer honor is unknown, and even more so — compliance with the Geneva Conventions, rules, laws, and customs of war.
According to Oleksandr Kovalenko, a military-political observer of the «Information Resistance» group, this is how the Russian occupiers try to hide the torture and murder of prisoners.
«First of all, it must be clear that each M142 HIMARS shot is thoroughly recorded — everything from the launch time to the exact location of the strike. With such accusations, the Russians only further expose themselves! Still, apparently, such are the demands of their lame propaganda!
Besides, just think about it… They claim the Army of Ukraine struck with high-precision weapons the site where Ukrainian prisoners of war were being held! What kind of wild nonsense is that? Who would even believe in this? Well, perhaps except for the media fast food consumers who have long been too brainwashed to remain sane?" he wrote in his Telegram.
According to him, it is obvious that the Russians tried to hide their crimes targeting prisoners, which they had been committing throughout all this time. All that intimidation, torture, and murders. That's precisely in order to hide any such traces that they hit the penitentiary facility.