Russia killed Ukrainian POWs in Olenivka prison to hide abuse, torture 

The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reports this on Telegram. 

According to intelligence data, the interrogations of the prisoners were conducted by investigators of the "Ministry of State Security of the DPR" together with representatives of the Russian private military company Wagner and employees of Russia's FSB. 

"Physical torture and beatings were actively used during the interrogations. Such measures, first of all, were not aimed at obtaining certain confidential information, but at bullying, physical humiliation, psychological demoralization with the aim of breaking the moral and psychological qualities of Ukrainian soldiers", it is noted. 

Ukrainian intelligence noted that the Russian occupiers tried to extract confessions from the captives for allegedly committing crimes against civilians.

"The representatives of the FSB planned to involve Ukrainian prisoners in filming in pro-Russian reports. The purpose of the broadcast was to cover the recognition by the prisoners of "crimes committed by them, atrocities against the local population, the fighters' renunciation of their views, as well as condemnation of the actions of the leadership of Ukraine". Interrogations were conducted on a regular basis, but were not successful. The Ukrainian prisoners showed exceptional courage and indomitable willpower", the intelligence reported. 

The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine states that the Russians did not plan to exchange the prisoners of war who were tortured, and killed them to hide the facts of the torture.

"The Russian side had no intention of exchanging prisoners of war and, in order to hide the improper conditions and forms of interrogation of Ukrainian servicemen (which could serve as an evidence base at the Hague Court), deliberately killed the prisoners of war. According to the available data, the mines of the place of detention of the Ukrainian fighters were carried out by the fighters of the Wagner PMC using a highly flammable substance, which led to the rapid spread of the fire in the premises", the intelligence reported.