National investigation into the Olenivka tragedy: What has been established so far

The management of the Olenivka penal colony, in cooperation with representatives of the federal penitentiary service of the russian federation, deliberately carried out actions that resulted in additional casualties among the Ukrainian servicemen affected by the tragedy.

This was announced by Dmytro Martyn, prosecutor of the 18th Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office, during a briefing at the Media Center Ukraine.

“We worked with victims and witnesses who were later returned as part of the prisoner exchange with the aggressor state. Based on the results of the investigation, we determined that the colony’s management acting jointly and in premeditated conspiracy with each other and with other, as yet unidentified, representatives of the russian federal penitentiary service, deliberately committed acts and omissions that led to further losses. Specifically, we found that while at least 41 people died directly as a result of the explosions, at least 9 more “Azov” servicemen died as a result of not receiving proper medical care,” he said.

He explained that this included delays in providing assistance, obstructing military medics on the ground from providing assistance, untimely and improper evacuations, and the use of inappropriate evacuation methods, all of which worsened the condition of the victims. As a result, at least 9 more defenders lost their lives both before and during the evacuation.

Dmytro Martyn reminded that on February 27, 2024, based on the results of the investigation, the so-called head of the Olenivka penal colony and his first deputy were charged with criminal offenses, including violations of the laws and customs of war combined with premeditated murder under Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Read more: https://mediacenter.org.ua/news