Olenivka POW murder: former colony leaders served with suspicion notices

The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) reported this.

The agency states that the defendants held their positions when, on the night of July 29, 2022, Russian troops carried out a terrorist attack by setting off explosions in a barracks of a penal colony in Olenivka, Donetsk region.

"Both defendants were aware of the consequences of the explosions and the number of victims, but deliberately delayed the evacuation of the wounded to medical facilities," the SSU emphasises.

According to the SSU, Yevsiukov and Neyolov have been "replaced by the enemy" in November 2022, and are currently hiding in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk region.

"Based on the evidence collected, SSU investigators notified Yevsiukov and Neyolov of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 2 of Article 438 (cruel treatment of prisoners of war, combined with premeditated murder committed by prior conspiracy by a group of persons) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine," the SSU summarises.

As a result of the Russian terrorist attack in Olenivka, at least 50 Ukrainian servicemen who were held in the colony were killed. At the same time, 9 of them died due to the failure to provide emergency medical care. Almost 150 Ukrainian defenders were wounded.

Note: According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and shall not be subjected to criminal punishment until his or her guilt is proved in accordance with the law and established by a court verdict.

Terrorist attack in Olenivka

On the night of 29 July 2022, the Russian armed forces carried out a targeted deliberate artillery attack on a penal institution in the village of Olenivka, Donetsk region, where Ukrainian prisoners of war were held.

The explosion destroyed the room where the Ukrainian prisoners were being held: 53 people were killed and over 130 injured. 

Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out the attack, alleging that it was carried out by a HIMARS system that Kyiv had received from the United States. It even showed fragments of what Russia claimed was a munition allegedly found at the scene. The Russian Ministry of Defence invited experts, specialists from the UN and the Red Cross to the colony in Olenivka. However, representatives of international organisations were not granted access to the site of the tragedy. 

On 11 October 2022, Ukraine was able to return the bodies of 62 soldiers, including those killed during the mass execution in Olenivka. However, the exact number of victims of this crime and the list of the dead can only be determined after identification.

On 25 July, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk denied Russia's allegations that the Olenivka prison was allegedly shelled by HIMARS missile systems and condemned the lack of accountability for the killings of Ukrainian prisoners of war.