Families of POWs killed and wounded in Olenivka prison camp have three requests for international community

Families of the prisoners of war who were killed and wounded in the Russian terrorist attack on the Olenivka prison camp in the summer of 2022 have made three requests of the Ukrainian and international communities. Source: Mariia Alieksieievych, representative of the Olenivka Families Community; Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia Alieksieievych explained what kind of help the families need from the international community, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and Ukrainian diplomats and authorities.

"Since the terrorist attack in Olenivka, we have had three problems that have yet to be solved, namely: the return of all the soldiers wounded in the terrorist attack on Olenivka; a worthy tribute to the murdered heroes; and an international investigation into the terrorist attack.

We must bring the survivors home because the Russians planned to kill them; they are victims of a Russian war crime, and there is still no understanding of the logic by which the lists were drawn up that determined that our relatives were transferred to a separate barrack which became the place where more than 50 people died," Mariia says. She adds that the international organisations are still working at the same level as before. "Of course we realise that we have to constantly remind them of their direct duties, we have to ask them to do more.

But no words or actions have had any result so far," Alieksieievych says. The families in the community still do not know where the defenders who were wounded in the terrorist attack are being held. Even the exact number of people who survived is not known, or what injuries they suffered.

Mariia says there are about 120 of them. "The only thing that can be said for certain concerns the people whom the Russian Ministry of Defence defined as seriously wounded on 30 July 2022. 59 people on this list are prisoners of war, including my husband. I am still sending requests to the ICRC asking them to establish information about my husband - after all, he was officially confirmed as a prisoner of war by the aggressor country with the ICRC's assistance - but it's been more than six months now and I haven't received any answers from them," says Mariia.

The activist also believes that Ukrainian embassies should work more actively to promote the issue of the Russian terrorist attack on Olenivka. At the end of February, a trip to the OSCE to discuss the Olenivka terrorist attack was organised with the assistance of the Media Initiative for Human Rights. Mariia - together with a released Azov defender who survived the terrorist attack and representatives of the Media Initiative for Human Rights - met with representatives of OSCE delegations.

In particular, they asked that there should be oversight of places of detention, monitoring of compliance with the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, and help in securing the release of their family members from captivity. Now, together with other activists from the organisation, Mariia wants to travel to Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and is asking for support from the Ukrainian authorities. Mariia has been assured that work on this is underway and that her community will be invited to join international trips.

Background: On the night of 28-29 July 2022, the Russians treacherously killed at least 53 defenders of Mariupol. The Russians caused an explosion at the barracks of the Olenivka prison, where 193 Azov prisoners of war had been transferred the day before. For almost two years, the ICRC and other foreign human rights activists have not been allowed to visit the wounded prisoners or the places where the Mariupol defenders are being held. Over the past month, Ukrainians abroad have held rallies to remind people in other countries of the Russian terrorist attack on Olenivka.

A rally in KrakowPhoto: UKRAINE IN DNA

Hope smoulders in my soul." In memory of the Azov fighters killed in Olenivka

Support UP or become our patron!