Suspicion of the leadership of the colony in Olenivka, Donetsk region is the first result of the investigation into the mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs), none of those involved will go unpunished, the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) emphasizes.

The department's message on the Telegram channel on Monday noted that on the night of July 29, 2022, the Russian Federation committed one of the most cynical and large-scale war crimes in terms of the number of victims.

"As a result of the explosion on the territory of former Volnovakha colony No. 120 in occupied Olenivka, at least 50 Ukrainian servicemen held captive there were killed, and about 150 were injured," the prosecutor's office recalls.

On the same day, the Prosecutor General's Office opened a criminal case on the fact of the mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war under Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder.

According to the investigation, the explosions occurred after lights out between 23:00 on July 28 and 01:00 on July 29, 2022. At that time, 193 prisoners of war of the Azov Regiment were held in the barracks.

According to the department, at least 41 servicemen were killed as a result of the explosions and injuries sustained.

"Another nine died as a result of untimely and improper medical care. About 150 Ukrainian servicemen received injuries of varying severity," the report states.

During the investigation, investigators and prosecutors received testimony from 20 victims and more than 30 witnesses, and 48 forensic examinations were also conducted.

"Information from open sources, as well as data from intelligence and law enforcement agencies, have been examined," the prosecutor's office reported.

The report specifies that 49 deceased servicemen have been identified, 48 of them based on the findings of forensic molecular genetic examinations, and another 1 deceased based on the testimony of victims and witnesses.

"Despite the fact that the Ukrainian servicemen, while in captivity, were protected by the Geneva Convention, the occupiers did not allow international organizations to inspect the crime scene. They tried to destroy and hide traces of the crime," the report notes.

At present, sufficient evidence has been obtained to notify the head of the so-called "Volnovakha correctional colony" and his first deputy of the suspicion of violating the laws and customs of war (Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The pretrial investigation conducted by the SBU has established that after the explosion, despite the presence of a large number of victims and calls for help, the suspects deliberately delayed providing emergency medical care and evacuating the servicemen to a medical facility.

"They also did not provide the necessary medical drugs in sufficient quantities and the assistance means. All this led to the death of nine Azov servicemen from their wounds before and during the evacuation," the report notes.

"Under the procedural leadership of the Prosecutor General's Office, law enforcement officers continue to take measures to identify and bring to justice all persons guilty of this large-scale war crime.... This is the first result of the investigation into the mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Olenivka. No one involved will remain unpunished," the Prosecutor General's Office summed up.