Ukraine demands that UN mission investigate killing of POWs in Olenivka - Ombudsman

Lubinets made the statement on his social media, Ukrinform reports.

The mass killing of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Olenivka was a manifestation of Russian invaders’ weakness and their fear even of "unarmed Ukrainian defenders."

"Unfortunately, the insufficient reaction on the part of international organizations and world leaders shows their weakness as well," he emphasized.

The Ombudsman emphasized that those killed in Olenivka had the official status of prisoners of war, verified by the International Committee of the Red Cross. They were also subject to the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

Immediately after the explosion in the barrack, Russia accused Ukraine of a targeted strike allegedly involving a HIMARS missile.

Lubinets recalled that Ukraine had appealed to the UN and ICRC as guarantors of the agreements regarding the defenders of Mariupol’s Azovstal steelworks, held in Olenivka.

"The arrangements stipulated that their lives would be preserved and that they would later be exchanged. Both organizations expressed their readiness to investigate the mass murder of prisoners of war," Lubinets noted.

On August 3, 2022, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the organization was preparing a group of experts to investigate the deaths of POWs in Olenivka. Five months later, he disbanded the mission citing the lack of security guarantees.

According to the Ombudsman, Russia never granted international organizations access to the Olenivka penitentiary facility.

In his opinion, another factor that could likely be the reason for disbanding the mission is that "out of the three foreigners who are its members, in fact all are under Russia’s influence."

Lubinets noted that he repeatedly attempted to set up a meeting with the members of the UN mission and expressed his readiness to personally hand over evidence related to the incident, available to Ukraine. However, mission members never agreed to study that evidence.

He also offered his Russian counterpart to jointly visit the scene but the latter refused.

On July 25, 2023, the UN made a statement that the terrorist attack targeting Olenivka "was not caused by a HIMARS missile", thus refuting Russia’s propaganda claims.

Lubinets emphasized that at international meetings he has been repeatedly raising the topic of the terrorist attack and the importance of its investigation.

"Ukraine demands that the UN mission resume its work as soon as possible or that a new mission be set up to thoroughly investigate the terrorist attack on Olenivka," the human rights commissioner said.

According to Lubinets, the crime in Olenivka remains unpunished and that all those complicit in the terrorist attack must be held to account. Ukraine is doing everything to make this happen as soon as possible, he stressed.

"I call on the UN and the ICRC to fulfill their mandate and investigate the terrorist attack. This crime does not have a statute of limitations and it will not be possible to ‘water it down’! The terrible pain of losing our heroes will never go. Bright memory and eternal glory! We will not forget and we will not forgive!" Lubinets wrote.

As reported earlier, in the night hours of July 29, 2022, Russia committed a terrorist attack, setting off an explosion in the barracks of the penal colony in Olenivka, Donetsk region, where Ukrainian prisoners of war were being held. At least 50 Azovstal defenders were killed.

In total, Ukraine managed to return 23 soldiers who had been held in the affected barracks. One of them - the 30-year-old combat medic Ostap Shved – has already testified about the circumstances of the mass killing of Ukrainian defenders in Russian captivity.