Terrorist attack in Olenivka: the prosecutor's office reported how many surviving servicemen were interviewed
Kyiv • UNN
The management of the Volnovakha correctional colony did not allow evacuation and did not provide medication to prisoners of war after the explosion in the barracks, which confirms Russia's criminal intent. The Prosecutor General's Office interviewed 47 surviving servicemen to reconstruct the circumstances of the terrorist attack, which killed 41 people and injured 152.
The leadership of the so-called Volnovakha correctional colony did not provide the prisoners of war with the opportunity to evacuate after the explosion in the barracks and did not provide them with medicines. This confirms Russia's criminal intent to kill the prisoners.
Conversations were held with 47 people who managed to survive to reconstruct the circumstances of the terrorist act. This was reported by Taras Semkiv, head of the Department for Combating Crimes Committed in Armed Conflict of the Prosecutor General's Office, on the air of the telethon, as reported by UNN.
Details
The investigation has established quite a lot of circumstances, in particular, it has been established that on the night of July 28-29, 2022, an explosion occurred in correctional colony No. 120 using an unidentified weapon. At that moment, 193 people were in the barracks where the explosion occurred, 41 of them died immediately after the explosion, and another 152 people were injured.
According to him, after these events, the prisoners of war tried to evacuate from the place because a fire started there and there was a danger of subsequent explosions.
However, the leadership of the so-called Volnovakha correctional colony, the leadership of the institution where they were held, did not provide the opportunity for evacuation, did not provide them with medicines, did not provide delivery to appropriate medical facilities. This confirms their intent to kill (the prisoners - ed.). As a result, nine more people died who were not provided with medical care.
He noted that, unfortunately, many circumstances still remain unknown, but step by step all the circumstances of this tragic event are being established.
We are convinced that as a result of this investigation, all persons involved in this crime will be identified.
The cause of the explosion in the barracks and what weapon Russia used Semkiv commented on whether anything is known about the real cause of the explosion in the barracks.
The pre-trial investigation checks all versions regarding the commission of the crime, including the Russian version regarding the possible use of HIMARS missile weapons, which they immediately declared. Many versions during the pre-trial investigation do not find their confirmation. First of all, this is the version put forward by the Russians about the use of HIMARS. This version was refuted even by the UN monitoring mission.
He noted that Ukraine is considering several versions regarding the cause of the explosion.
As for the versions that caused it, we are considering several. This includes the laying of explosives inside the barracks itself, but the most probable version at this time is the use of artillery or missile weapons with a thermobaric warhead.
According to him, at present, all persons involved in these actions have not yet been identified, but the head of the so-called Volnovakha correctional colony and his first deputy have already been notified of suspicion for not providing medical assistance to the victims during the terrorist attack.
In addition, Semkiv reported that investigators have already spoken with 47 military personnel who survived the terrorist attack in Olenivka.
We have already spoken with 47 people who managed to survive during those tragic events. These events took place in the dark, during lights out, when everyone was lying on their beds, so they don't have much information, but bit by bit, from the pieces of information that each of them has, we are trying to reconstruct all the circumstances of those events. We are trying to understand all the people who suffered as a result of them.
He also noted that this barracks was formed literally on the eve of the terrorist attack.
"On July 27, lists of people who would move to the corresponding barracks, to the premises of the former industrial zone, where sleeping places were equipped, were formed."
"While the principle of forming these lists is unknown, it can be said that all the people who were there were servicemen of the 'AZOV' special purpose regiment," Semkiv said.