Ministry of Justice details Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia prison: Inmates evacuated immediately

"Together with Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration head Ivan Fedorov, the minister held a meeting with the management of the correctional facility, during which they discussed the response procedure during attacks, evacuation of inmates, provision of medical aid to the wounded, the extent of destruction, and further steps for restoring the facility," the statement said.

Halushchenko inspected the aftermath of the Russian strike and confirmed it was a deliberate terrorist act by Russia. Ukraine has already appealed to international institutions, demanding that this act of terror be documented.

The minister added that the inmates were evacuated from the facility immediately after the strike. All circumstances of the attack are now being carefully examined; it is clear that the Bilenke correctional facility was the intended target.

The minister reviewed the damage, offered condolences to the families of the victims, and stressed the need for an international response to this deliberate strike by the aggressor state on a penitentiary facility.

"The prison does have bomb shelters, and inmates are moved there during air raid alerts. But unfortunately, due to the nature of this strike, it was impossible to use the shelter in time. We are now studying all the circumstances, including how exactly the strike was carried out," Halushchenko added.

In the early hours of July 29, a correctional facility near the village of Bilenke in the Zaporizhzhia region came under Russian attack. As a result, 16 people were killed and 43 were injured. The Russian army dropped four guided aerial bombs (KABs) on the facility.