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On the night of July 28-29, 2022, a powerful explosion occurred on the territory of the former penal colony in occupied Olenivka. Ukrainian prisoners of war were being held there in a separate barracks. The day before the explosion, the Russians took about 200 soldiers from the Azov regiment and placed them there. As a result of the explosion, about 50 people were killed and another 70 were injured. Eyewitnesses say that people were burned alive. Those who tried to get out onto the road were shot. No one provided medical assistance. The Russians just watched as people died. Captured medics tried to save those they could, wrapping people in pieces of cloth. Only in the morning were the wounded loaded into trucks like cattle and taken away. “In Olenivka, they burned what was left of my faith in people,” recalls one of the freed medics. War crimes have no statute of limitations, and we will seek to establish the truth about what happened. May the memory of the victims live on, and may their families find strength. Photo: Alexandr Ermochenko/Reuters/Scanpix/LETA

On this day, July 28, four years ago, russia killed over 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war in Olenivka. It remains one of the most brutal crimes of this war. Late in the evening of July 28, 2022, russian forces detonated explosives in one of the barracks at the penal colony in Olenivka, located in occupied Donetsk region. More than 50 Ukrainian POWs from “Azovstal” were killed, and another 130 sustained injuries of varying severity. Russia immediately blamed Ukraine for the attack — a lie that was later debunked by both Ukraine and the United Nations. The Ukrainian government has adopted a resolution to annually commemorate July 28 as the Day of Remembrance for Ukraine’s defenders — including volunteer fighters and civilians — who were killed, tortured, or executed in captivity. We will not forget.

Every year at this time, we in Ukraine honor the memory of our people who were killed in Russian captivity. On the night of July 28–29, the Russians massacred our people in Olenivka – brutally, callously, with absolute cynicism. More than 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed, and over 100 were wounded. This is one of those war crimes that shows what Russia truly is. It is a state that completely disregards human life, an absolute evil that cannot refrain from killing. We must always remember who we are dealing with. We must bring all our people home from Russian captivity – military personnel and civilians. It is important that Ukraine is not alone in this effort and that our friends around the world are helping us through their mediation. Since the start of the full-scale war, we have already succeeded in bringing 9,613 people home from Russian captivity. We remember every one of those who remain in captivity. We will not forget a single crime committed against our people. Eternal memory to all those who lost their lives because of Russian evil. Eternal gratitude to everyone who is helping free our people and protect lives.