UN experts confirm Olenivka attack in Ukraine was a deliberate Russian war crime

Lubinets recalled that over 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed in the Russian terrorist attack on the prison, with around 130 more injured. In the immediate aftermath, Russia blamed Ukraine for the incident, fabricating a story about a HIMARS missile strike.

Meanwhile, the UN mission that was supposed to investigate the crime was disbanded due to a lack of security guarantees.

Only a year later did the UN state that the Olenivka attack was not caused by a HIMARS missile strike. However, the organization stopped short of publicly blaming Russia for the crime.

"Recently, though, a group of UN experts released a detailed report containing evidence — an internal UN analysis concluded that it was Russia that planned and carried out the attack. Finally, things are being called by their proper names," Lubinets emphasized.

He noted that the report identified the weapons and ammunition used by Russian forces to kill the Ukrainian POWs. The document also examined the planning, organization, and execution of the attack.

According to Lubinets, the report should serve as a strong catalyst for further investigation into the crime.

The Olenivka tragedy

In July 2022, Russian forces attacked a detention facility in Olenivka, Donetsk region, where Ukrainian prisoners of war were being held. Dozens of Ukrainian defenders were killed in the strike, including members of the Azov Regiment. Most of the victims suffered severe injuries and burns.

The attack was likely carried out using a missile or a mortar explosion.

Previously, Dmytro Martsyn, a prosecutor from the 18th Department of Ukraine’s Prosecutor General's Office, stated that some of the prisoners died because they were denied medical assistance after the blast.