Explosions in Olenivka prison: Russia persists and signs
A photo of a barracks in Olenivka prison destroyed by an explosion on July 29, 2022. AP
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Last week, explosions in Olenivka prison in the breakaway republic of Donetsk killed dozens of Ukrainian soldiers taken prisoner in Mariupol.
Moscow accuses kyiv of having bombed them, which kyiv denies.
The Russian army took several journalists on the spot on Wednesday August 10.
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We go to Olenivka, about twenty kilometers from the capital of the self-proclaimed republic of Donetsk, by a road that crosses the countryside, small villages crushed under the summer heat and their cemeteries invaded by wild grass.
In front of the light ocher brick buildings of the penal colony, an important security device and special precautions such as telephones prohibited for the press.
From the outside, all you can see are high walls, rusty barbed wire and screened, curtained windows.
Inside, after passing through a massive blue sliding door, one sees in the first courtyard, dominating the visitors, three wooden Christs carved on their cross, and at their feet, a message which invites to repent.
In the second courtyard, after the watchtowers, on the ground, broken glass and rubble, then the room with the destroyed roof where the prisoners died.
There are metal sheets hanging down, a Bible on the ground, heaps of ash, a remnant of a blanket emerging, then almost completely charred bed frame carcasses.
On the spot, Ukraine considered responsible
Here, we persist and sign: it is kyiv that is responsible for the death of the dozens of prisoners who were in the room.
Why would Ukraine bomb its own soldiers?
Denis Pushilin, president of the pro-Russian separatist republic of Donetsk, responds:
Only Ukraine had a motive for doing that, and that motive was that the prisoners had begun to testify, to make video confessions in which they gave surnames, first names, dates.
The identities of who gave them criminal orders as a result of which they committed war crimes against civilians.
As soon as these video confessions started to appear, the blow was struck.
This strike was launched from territory controlled by Ukraine, with Himars missiles, which are now delivered to Ukraine.
Moreover, the remains of these missiles were found here.
»
Here, Ukraine is also accused of also targeting large cities and civilians.
Last week, Donetsk experienced Ukrainian artillery fire in the city center affecting hotels, the theater, with a balance sheet of five civilians dead and several injured.
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