British News Agency

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that July 28 is a day of remembrance for military personnel and civilians who were executed, tortured or died in Russian captivity.

In a statement, the ministry alleged that more than 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed and over 130 people were injured in an incident at the Russian-controlled Olenivka prison on the night of July 28-29, 2022.

The statement said that Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, including defenders of Mariupol and the Azovstal steel plant, were being held at the prison.

The ministry claimed that some prisoners had been transferred to a separate building before the explosions and that the wounded were left without adequate medical assistance for hours, arguing that this indicated the incident had been planned in advance. It also alleged that Russia had not allowed independent international access to the site.

Citing data from the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that 96 percent of released Ukrainian prisoners of war reported having been subjected to torture or ill-treatment in Russian captivity.

The statement called for the immediate release of all Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians being unlawfully detained, particularly those who are seriously injured, in critical condition or in need of urgent medical care.