The Olenivka tragedy occurred on the night of July 29, when an explosion tore through a barracks at Correctional Colony No. 120. Ukrainian prisoners of war, including defenders of Azovstal, had been deliberately moved there shortly before. Ukraine has recognized this attack as an act of terrorism. As reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General in the summer of 2024, investigative actions are still ongoing, though no suspects have been formally charged. This war crime claimed the lives of over 50 people and left more than 140 injured.

 

The Tragedy

The village of Olenivka in the Donetsk region has been occupied since 2014. The local former correctional colony became a place where not only Ukrainian military personnel but also civilians were held. Volnovakha Correctional Colony No. 120 is located 30 km from Donetsk. More than three thousand prisoners of war from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, law enforcement officers, and civilians were detained and tortured here, according to a National Police report regarding the investigation into the warden and staff of the Olenivka colony. After the start of the full-scale invasion, the Russian Federation established a filtration camp within the colony. On July 28, around 11:00 PM, an explosion occurred in one of the colony's barracks. This hangar housed a portion of the defenders who had left Azovstal on May 16–17, 2022, including soldiers from the Azov Regiment.

Ukrainian investigators classified the event as a violation of the laws and customs of war and defined it as a terrorist act. The Prosecutor General's Office stated that the explosion was caused by the use of a reactive thermobaric grenade launcher. The investigation is being conducted by the Main Investigative Directorate of the SBU, with prosecutors from the Office of the Prosecutor General providing procedural guidance in the criminal proceedings. The case was initiated following the deaths and injuries of varying severity resulting from the explosion at Correctional Colony No. 120 in Olenivka, Volnovakha District, Donetsk Region. Preliminarily, the case is classified under Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — violation of the laws and customs of war.

“Prisoners of war are in the hands of the enemy Power, but not of the individuals or military units who have taken them prisoner. Irrespective of the individual responsibilities that may exist, the Detaining Power is responsible for the treatment given them,” as stated in Article 12 of the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

 

The History

On the night of July 29, an explosion occurred at the former correctional colony in occupied Olenivka, Donetsk region, destroying a building housing Ukrainian prisoners of war. The Russian Federation claimed the deaths of over 50 Ukrainian defenders, while the exact number of wounded remained unknown. Russia blamed the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the attack.

As a result of the explosion, the barracks collapsed and a fire broke out. In the section where the blast occurred and the fire raged, everyone perished; in the other section, prisoners suffered severe injuries and horrific burns. Cries were heard from within, but it was already impossible to enter. Meanwhile, the colony administration did not extinguish the fire or provide medical assistance. Consequently, many of the injured died from blood loss and traumatic shock.

Only three hours after the terrorist act did the occupation administration allow prisoners with medical experience to provide aid, and even then, only to those who had managed to crawl outside on their own. The occupants did not begin the evacuation of the victims until morning, transporting them in trucks. Due to the nature of this transport, some of the wounded died in transit.

Later, on October 11, Ukraine managed to recover the bodies of 62 fallen soldiers, including victims of the Olenivka massacre. According to updated data, the death toll was at least 57, with 130 wounded. As of July 2023, DNA testing was still ongoing for 16 potential victims. According to Ukrainian intelligence, the occupants never intended to exchange these prisoners, but rather deliberately executed them to cover up traces of torture and the appalling conditions of their detention. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also reported that the blast was carried out by mercenaries from the Wagner PMC, without coordinating their actions with the Russian military leadership.

In this way, the Russian military and leadership sought to conceal evidence of torture and the embezzlement of funds intended for the maintenance of Ukrainian captives. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) emphasized that the crime was meticulously planned in advance. This is directly indicated by the fact that shortly before the explosion, Ukrainian defenders were intentionally moved to a new building, located separately from the main barracks.

 

The Memory

On August 3, 2022, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced the creation of a fact-finding mission regarding the tragedy at the Olenivka colony. However, on September 28, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, noted that this international mission had never reached Ukraine to investigate the attack. After five months of existence, in January 2023, it was disbanded. Russia did not permit any international organization access to the site of the tragedy.

On October 4, 2023, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights published a report with new findings and details regarding the Olenivka colony attack. Based on interviews with over 50 witnesses and victims, as well as an analysis of available photographic and video materials, the UN once again confirmed: the explosions were not caused by HIMARS rockets.

The document specifically highlights the security risks to the soldiers: as of July 28, 2022, thousands of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian hostages were held in the colony, despite it being only about 14 kilometers from the contact line. The UN emphasized that such proximity to the front lines subjected the prisoners to serious pre-existing danger due to the conduct of hostilities.

The Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, the Olenivka Families Community, the Regional Center for Human Rights, and the Media Initiative for Human Rights are seeking to hold the Russian Federation accountable at the International Criminal Court for the Olenivka attack. The Olenivka Families Community, which represents 193 families of the victims, continues to pressure international institutions. In June 2026, the families appealed to the Ukrainian Ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, demanding the urgent initiation of a separate humanitarian exchange to return 46 severely wounded defenders who survived the Olenivka attack but still remain in Russian captivity.

On July 28, 2025, Ukraine for the first time observed the Day of Remembrance for the Defenders of Ukraine, members of volunteer formations, and civilians who were executed, tortured, or died in captivity. The date is dedicated to the tragic events at Volnovakha Correctional Colony No. 120 in the village of Olenivka, where dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war perished on the night of July 28–29, 2022. By a resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, this memorial day was established as a reminder of the tragic events occurring during the full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

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Credits:
Researcher and Author: Katya Moskalyuk
Photo Editor: Marusya Maruzhenko
Literary Editor: Yulia Futey

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