Mass murder of prisoners by Russia in Olenivka: the Prosecutor General's Office reported on the course of the investigation
Kyiv • UNN
The investigation into the mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Olenivka continues, not all involved have been identified. Russia has not provided access to the crime scene to international organizations, and former heads of the colony have been notified of suspicion.
The investigation into the mass murder by Russians of Ukrainian defenders from Azovstal, who were held captive in a colony in Olenivka, is ongoing. Not all persons involved in the crime have been identified yet. Russia has still not provided access to the scene to any international organization, individual representatives, or independent media. This was reported to a UNN journalist by the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine in response to an inquiry.
On the night of July 29-29, 2022, Russia committed a terrorist act on the territory of the former correctional colony No. 210 in Olenivka in the occupied territory, one of the most cynical war crimes against Ukrainian prisoners of war.
It is reported that prosecutors of the Office of the Prosecutor General supervise compliance with laws in the form of procedural guidance of the pre-trial investigation in criminal proceedings regarding the violation of laws and customs of war, by the use of unidentified weapons by the Russian occupation forces at the place of detention of Ukrainian prisoners of war, namely the colony in the village of Olenivka in the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk region, as a result of which about 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed and about 140 people from among Ukrainian prisoners of war were wounded, on the grounds of criminal offenses provided for in parts 1, 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Cause of the explosion in one of the barracks of the Volnovakha correctional colony in Olenivka in the summer of 2022
During the pre-trial investigation, law enforcement agencies consider all possible versions of events that could have occurred on the night of July 28-29, 2022, since, according to the principles of criminal proceedings, the pre-trial investigation must be complete and impartial. In particular, versions are being checked that the crime was committed using weapons with a possible thermobaric effect
The Office of the Prosecutor General notes that the pre-trial investigation body, according to the principles and foundations of criminal procedural legislation, must be guided by the principle of "beyond reasonable doubt", and sources of evidence must meet the requirements of admissibility, relevance, and sufficiency.
In connection with the foregoing, it should be emphasized that the prosecution can assert certain facts as established and reliable only if there is sufficient proper and admissible evidence to confirm this, while all other probable versions of events are refuted by evidence that meets the same criteria.
Who was notified of suspicion in committing the terrorist act in Olenivka
The Office of the Prosecutor General reminded that on July 25, 2024, a notice of suspicion was drawn up, and on July 27, 2024, suspicion was announced to citizens of Ukraine who held the positions of head and first deputy head of the so-called "State Budgetary Institution "Volnovakha Correctional Colony of the State Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice of the DPR" that they are suspected of cruel treatment of prisoners of war, combined with intentional murder, committed by prior conspiracy by a group of persons, that is, of committing a criminal offense provided for in Part 2 of Article 28, Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
In particular, the pre-trial investigation established that in the period from approximately 11:00 p.m. on July 28, 2022, to 01:00 a.m. on July 29, 2022, in one of the colony's premises where servicemen of the Azov Special Purpose Detachment were held, as a result of the use of weapons unidentified during the pre-trial investigation, explosions occurred and a fire broke out, as a result of which at least 41 people died immediately from blast-fragmentation injuries, shrapnel wounds to the body and internal organ damage, injuries caused by a thermal factor, and other severe bodily injuries, and at least 145 servicemen of the Azov Special Purpose Detachment received injuries of varying severity.
After that, due to the fire in the "barrack" and fearing repeated explosions, servicemen of the Azov Special Purpose Detachment moved as far as possible, namely to the fence near the entrance to the colony, where unidentified employees of the "Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation" were located, as well as representatives of the "Volnovakha Correctional Colony", including the head of the "Volnovakha Correctional Colony" and the first deputy head of the "Volnovakha Correctional Colony"
It is emphasized that despite the severe injuries and a large number of injured servicemen of the Azov Special Purpose Detachment, despite calls for help, these persons, who actually exercised effective control in the "Volnovakha Correctional Colony" and acted in concert, by prior conspiracy among themselves and other unidentified persons, deliberately failed to provide proper and sufficient medical preparations and means for providing medical care, significantly delayed providing first aid and evacuating the victims to a medical facility, which led to the further death of 9 servicemen of the Azov Special Purpose Detachment from injuries received before and during evacuation.
At present, not all persons involved in the aforementioned crime have been identified. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing. No indictment has been drawn up, no case has been sent to court, and no verdicts have been rendered by courts.
Situation with access to the crime scene by Russians
The OGP commented on access to the crime scene. On August 3, 2022, the UN Secretary-General announced the establishment of a Fact-Finding Mission "regarding the incident of July 29, 2022, in Olenivka, Ukraine, in response to requests from the governments of Ukraine and the Russian Federation."
However, on January 5, 2023, the UN Secretary-General decided to disband the Fact-Finding Mission in Olenivka "due to the absence of conditions necessary for the deployment of the Mission on the ground."
Representatives of the aggressor state did not provide access to the scene to any international organization, individual representatives, or independent media.
The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by investigators of the Main Investigation Department of the Security Service of Ukraine and is currently not completed.