Russian mercenaries from "PMC Wagner" are behind the explosion in the colony in Olenivka, where Ukrainian prisoners of war were held. They carried out the explosion on the instructions of the owner of "PMC" — "Putinʼs chef" Yevgeny Prigozhin. They did not coordinate the organization and actual terrorist attack with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
Ukrainian military intelligence announced this on July 29.
The main purpose of the terrorist attack, according to intelligence, is to hide the facts of total embezzlement of funds allocated for the maintenance of Ukrainian prisoners of war. It is known that a commission from Moscow was supposed to arrive at the "object" on August 1 to check the expenditure of funds and the conditions of detention of prisoners. Since the actual condition of the building and the conditions of keeping the prisoners in it did not meet the requirements of the Russian leadership, the problem was solved by destroying the premises — together with the prisoners of war.
Another goal of the terrorist attack is to increase social tension in Ukraine. "Given the great public interest in the fate of the heroes of Azovstal, according to the authors of the scenario of the terrorist attack, the death of the defenders should lead to an increase in social tension in Ukraine," added the intelligence.
Ukraine demands the immediate admission of representatives of Ukraine to the scene of events to study the situation and control the conditions of detention of captured Ukrainian defenders.
- On the night of July 29, explosions rang out in the colony in the occupied city of Olenivka, Donetsk oblast, where the Russians kept Ukrainian prisoners of war. The Russians said that it was the Armed Forces of Ukraine who hit it with HIMARS. However, the General Staff of Ukraine stated that the pre- trial detention center was shelled by the Russians themselves with artillery in order to accuse Ukraine of "war crimes" and to cover up torture of prisoners and executions. More than 40 Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed by shelling, 130 were wounded.
- The explosions took place on the territory of the industrial zone in a newly built building, which was supposed to be specially equipped to hold prisoners who had been taken out of Azovstal. The equipment of the building was completed on July 27, after which some of the detained Ukrainian defenders were transferred to it. The Security Service of Ukraine intercepted telephone conversations in which the occupiers confirm that Russian troops are responsible for the shelling of the pre-trial detention center.