russia shells POW prison to cover up torture and executions – Ukraine's command
The General Staff of Ukraine reports that russia shelled the colony in Olenivka in the Donetsk region to cover up the torture and murder of prisoners, as well as to accuse the Armed Forces of Ukraine of committing "war crimes."
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced it on Facebook.
According to General Staff's information, Ukraine didn't launch either missile or artillery strikes on the Olenivka area.
"The russian occupiers 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 the Donetsk region.
Therefore, such statements about the alleged shelling of civilian infrastructure and the population by the Ukrainian forces are outright lies and provocation, the responsibility of which is borne by russia—the aggressor country, the occupier, and the sponsor of terrorism," the message states.
Reference
On the morning of July 29, the russian media announced the shelling of the colony in Olenivka, Donetsk region, where Ukrainian prisoners are held. Officials from russia and the russia-appointed authorities in Donetsk said the attack killed 53 Ukrainian POWs and wounded 75. russian propagandists said that Ukraine used US-supplied HIMARS multiple rocket launchers in the attack on the prison in Olenivka, Donetsk region.
Ukrainian authorities in the Donetsk region said russia has pressed on with the shelling of civilian targets in Ukrainian-held areas, the Washinton Post reports.
"The fighting in the region has been intensifying by the day, and civilians must evacuate while it's still possible," said Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko. "The russian army doesn't worry about civilian casualties. They are hammering cities and villages in the region."
The Ukrainian troops in Mariupol were taken prisoner after the fierce fighting for the Azov Sea port, where they had been at the Azovstal steal plant. Their resistance has become a symbol of the Ukrainian struggle against russia's invasion and a symbol of bravery.
The Azov Regiment and other Ukrainian units, like National Guard, Border Guard Service, National Police, and infantry brigades, defended the steel mill for nearly three months. In May, under relentless russian attacks from the ground, sea, and air, the Mariupol Defenders surrendered.
Ukrainian soldiers were taken to prisons in russian-controlled areas such as Olenivka in the Donetsk region. Some have returned to Ukraine as part of prisoner exchanges with russia.
The Azov Regiment announced a hunt for all those involved in the mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Olenivka on July 29.
Read Rubryka's daily timeline of war: current news on Ukraine's defense against russia's aggression.
