Ukrainian defenders demand that UN and Red Cross representatives go to Olenivka – a joint statement
ALYONA MAZURENKO — FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2022, 8:48 P.M.
After the Russian killing today of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Olenivka, Ukrainian defenders demand that the UN and the ICRC – which acted as guarantors of the lives and health of Ukrainian fighters – send their representatives to the Russian penal colony where the crime took place.
Source: joint statement of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence, the Security Service of Ukraine and the Ombudsman
Quote: "We demand:
- From the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross, which acted as guarantors of the life and health of Ukrainian prisoners of war, an immediate response to the terrorist act committed by the Russian Federation.
- An immediate dispatch of representatives of the UN, the ICRC, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights and representatives of the United Centre for the Search and Release of Prisoners to the territory of the colony in the village of Olenivka in the temporarily occupied territory of the Donetsk region for the purpose of an inspection mission."
Details: The joint group of Ukrainian defenders considers the explosion to be a cynical terrorist attack by Russia – a classic "false flag operation" – the purpose of which is to cover up war crimes and discredit the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
They note that the Russian side violated a key condition under which the Ukrainian defenders agreed to leave Azovstal.
Quote: "On the night of Thursday, 28 July, on the territory of the former correctional colony in Olenivka, the killing of Ukrainian prisoners of war was organised.
The planned nature of this crime and its commission by the Russian side are indicated by many documented evidences: in particular, the deliberate transfer of fighters to a new premises shortly before the explosion, analysis of the nature of the damage and the movement of the blast wave, interception of the militants' telephone conversations, the absence of shelling in the specified place, and others.
All this leaves no doubt: the explosion in Olenivka was a Russian terrorist act and a gross violation of international agreements."
Details: Ukrainian defenders emphasise that they strike exclusively at Russian military facilities: warehouses with fuel, weapons and ammunition, command posts, military infrastructure facilities.
Quote: "The Ukrainian army has enough means to identify targets, including space reconnaissance systems. Ukraine did not carry out rocket and artillery attacks on the village Olenivka".
Background: On the night of Thursday, 28 July, there was an explosion on the territory of the former correctional colony № 210 in the village Olenivka, in the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk Oblast.
As a result, the building in which Ukrainian prisoners of war were kept was destroyed.
According to the Russians, more than 50 Ukrainian defenders were killed, the number of wounded is unknown.
According to comments from the Russian side, not a single penal colony worker, "Donetsk People's Republic" fighter or Russian military man who was guarding the premises was injured as a result of the explosion.
Immediately after the explosion, Russia accused Ukraine of shelling the penal colony with the use of American weapons and killing Ukrainian soldiers.
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