Oleshky Prison, 2022

by Donald Hill

Late this month there will be the third anniversary of an intentional Russian massacre on Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs).

Olenivka is a rural settlement of (as of 2001) about 4,800 inhabitants (predominantly Ukrainian-speaking), in Kalmiuske Raion, Donetsk Oblast. The town was brought under the control of the Russian-controlled ‘Separatists’ in 2014, and was - together with the entire oblast - annexed by Russia in September 2022, following a scam ‘referendum’.

In July 2022, in an industrial compound in Molodizhne, outside Olenivka, the Russians established a POW-camp. This became known as the Oleshky Prison.

From 24 to 26 July 2022, Ukrainian POWs were forced to convert a hangar into a prison. At the time, this was just 14 km from the frontline. A new set of Russian guards arrived and on 27 July about 200 POWs from the Azov Brigade, captured at Mariupol, were brought there.

They were told to sleep at 22.00hrs of 28 July. An hour later, two artillery shells arriving from southeast entered the barracks and exploded inside. At least 50 captured Azov prisoners died immediately or soon after (while waiting 3-4 hours before being transported to the hospital). Around 70 were taken to the hospital and 70 concussed or lightly injured prisoners were transferred to another section of the compound.

The Russians blamed it on a Ukrainian HIMARS attack. Meanwhile, there is no doubt that the attack came from south-east: from well within the Russia-controlled territory.

Ukrainian soldiers talk about their experiences in the shelling.

The Oleshky prison after the attack.

The case is just one out of thousands of atrocities meanwhile committed by the Russians in Ukraine: a good reason to remember what kind of invasion and war are the Ukrainians facing, and what kind of mishandling by ocupators are they experiencing every single day.