The Russian Defense Ministry on Friday accused Ukrainian forces of killing 40 prisoners of war in an attack in eastern Ukraine, controlled by separatists.
THE CNN could not immediately verify the allegations, and the Ukrainian military told CNN they had no information about such an attack.
In a statement, the Russian Defense Ministry said that “the Kiev regime deliberately carried out a bloody provocation”.
“The pre-trial detention center in the Yelenovka (Olenivka) settlement area, which contains Ukrainian military prisoners of war, including militants from the Azov formation, was hit by a missile attack from the US HIMARS multi-launch rocket system.” .
The ministry stated that “40 Ukrainian POWs were killed and 75 were wounded. In addition, eight isolation ward employees received injuries of varying severity.”
Olenivka prison near Donetsk was used to house many of the Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered at the Azovstal factory in Mariupol several months ago.
The Russian Defense Ministry reiterated claims previously made by officials in the self-declared People’s Republic of Donetsk, a separatist-controlled area in eastern Ukraine.
“It was a direct hit on the prisoners’ barracks. The result as of now: 40 dead, 130 wounded. They are still clearing the rubble. The numbers could increase,” DPR Deputy Information Minister Daniil Beznosov said in a speech on Telegram.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that “this blatant provocation was committed to intimidate the Ukrainian military and prevent them from being taken prisoner”.
“The circumstances of this provocation are being investigated.”
Russian state television showed brief video clips purportedly from the scene, showing a badly damaged building with a large hole in the roof. THE CNN could not independently verify the location of the video.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
