Ex-managers of Olenivka Colony, who are involved in death of captured Ukrainians, charged

The charges were pressed against Sergey Yevsyukov, the ex-leader of the so-called Volnovakha colony of "DPR" in the village of Olenivka, and his former first deputy, Dmitry Neyolov. According to the investigation, they were both on "posts" when the Russians set off explosions on the grounds of the occupation prison overnight on July 28.

At least 50 Ukrainian service members who were in torture camps died then. At the same time, nine of them died due to failure to provide them with emergency medical care. Almost 150 prisoners were injured.

The SBU security service stresses that both involved were aware of the consequences of the explosions and the number of casualties, but deliberately delayed evacuating the wounded to medical facilities.

According to the investigation, the explosions occurred after a strike between 11:00 p.m. on July 28 and 1:00 a.m. on July 29, 2022. At that time, 193 prisoners of war of the Azov Regiment were kept in the barracks.

As of now, it has been possible to identify and identify 49 deceased soldiers, 48 of them thanks to forensic molecular genetic examinations, and one more deceased from the testimony of victims and witnesses.

Despite the fact that Ukrainian servicemen, being in captivity, are under the protection of the Geneva Convention, the occupation administration did not allow international organizations to inspect the scene. Instead, they tried to destroy and hide the traces of the crime, the Office of the Prosecutor General notes.

"This is the first result of the investigation into the mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Olenivka. "None of those involved will go unpunished," the prosecutor's office said.

What is the punishment?

Yevsyukov and Neyolov were indicted under Part 2 of Art. 28 and Part 2 of Art. 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — cruel treatment of prisoners of war, combined with intentional murder, committed by a group of people based on a prior conspiracy. They face up to 15 years behind bars or life imprisonment.

In November 2022, both figures were "replaced in their positions" by the occupation authorities. They are currently hiding from justice in the temporarily occupied part of the territory of Donetsk Oblast.

Comprehensive measures are underway to find and punish the perpetrators of crimes committed against Ukrainian soldiers.

What happened in Olenivka?

Russian propagandists said on July 29, 2022, that the Armed Forces of Ukraine allegedly struck a colony in the village of Olenivka, Donetsk Oblast, where Ukrainian prisoners are held, with HIMARS rocket launchers. The leader of the unrecognized "DPR" Denis Pushilin said that the attack could have happened because the prisoners "began to testify."

Ukrainian intelligence said that the explosions in Olenivka were carried out by mercenaries of the Wagner (Liga) PMC under the personal command of the nominal owner Yevgeny Prigozhin. According to intelligence, the organization and implementation of the explosion was not coordinated with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

The Media Initiative for Human Rights (MIHR) wrote with reference to sources that there was no strike of the colony’s premises on July 28, but an explosion. The sound of the approach, characteristic of incoming strikes, was not heard.

The office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights also denied Russia's accusations: even one HIMARS missile would have caused more serious destruction.