UN Accuses Russia of Killing Ukrainian POWs in Donetsk

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called on Tuesday for accountability for the deaths of at least 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war last year in an explosion at a detention facility in the Donetsk region, rejecting Moscow's claim that a missile caused their deaths. Turk stated, "The prisoners of war who were injured or lost their lives in Olenivka and their families deserve to know the truth and hold accountable those responsible for violations of international law." The UN Human Rights Office, which reported having conducted extensive interviews with survivors and analyzed additional information, mentioned that the incident "did not result from a HIMARS missile." The prisoners held at a facility run by Russia in the Olenivka area of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, were reportedly killed in an explosion on July 29, 2022. At that time, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that the incident resulted from an airstrike by an American-made HIMARS missile. Ukraine, which has repeatedly raised the issue, insists that Russia caused the explosion in the Olenivka prison to cover up the mistreatment of Ukrainian prisoners inside it.