Ukraine Demands UN to Resume Investigation into Mass Killing of Ukrainian POWs in Olenivka by Russia Two Years Ago

Today, on the second anniversary of the terrorist attack in Olenivka that killed over 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets called on the United Nations to resume work on the investigation into the killing of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

Lubinets posted this on his Facebook page.

According to Lubinets, the massacre of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Olenivka is a manifestation of the weakness of the Russian invaders and their fear even of ‘unarmed Ukrainian defenders’.

‘Unfortunately, the insufficient response of international organisations and world leaders shows their weakness as well,’ he stressed.

The Ombudsman stressed that the victims had the official status of prisoners of war and were verified by the International Committee of the Red Cross. They were also subject to the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

Immediately after the explosion, Russia accused Ukraine of shelling, which was allegedly carried out using HIMARS. However, on 25 July 2023, the UN made a statement that the attack in Olenivka ‘was not caused by a HIMARS missile’. This refutes the propaganda claims of the Russian side.

Lubinets reminded that Ukraine appealed to the UN and the ICRC as guarantors of the agreements on the defenders of Azovstal who were held in Olenivka.

‘The agreements stipulated that their lives would be spared and subsequently exchanged. Both organisations expressed their readiness to investigate the massacre of prisoners,’ Lubinets said.

On 3 August 2022, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the organisation was preparing a team of experts to investigate the deaths of prisoners in Olenivka. Five months later, he disbanded the mission to establish the facts of the strike on the colony in Olenivka due to the lack of security guarantees.

According to the ombudsman, Russia has not granted access to Olenivka to either Ukraine or international organisations.

In his opinion, another factor that could possibly be the reason for the dissolution of the mission is that ‘out of the three foreigners who are part of it, virtually all of them are under Russian influence’.

Lubinets noted that he had repeatedly tried to meet with the members of the UN mission and expressed his readiness to personally hand over the materials on the explosion in the colony that Ukraine has. However, they have never agreed to read them.

He also offered the Russian Ombudsman to visit the site of the tragedy together, which was refused.