The Site of the Olenivka Terror Attack
The barracks of Colony No. 120, where at least 53 Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed on the night of 29 July 2022.
On the night of 29 July 2022 an explosion took place in a barracks of Colony No. 120 in occupied Olenivka, where russia held Ukrainian prisoners of war — mostly defenders of Azovstal. The Prosecutor General's Office reported the same day about 40 dead and 130 wounded; as of July 2023, 57 dead were confirmed, 52 of them identified — the exact number is unknown because the russian side does not assist the investigation; on 11 October 2022 russia returned 62 bodies. The Centre for Countering Disinformation and the UN Human Rights Office give at least 53 dead, nine of whom died from denial of medical aid. The Ukrainian investigation classifies the event as a terrorist act using a thermobaric munition; the UN confirmed the explosion was not caused by a HIMARS rocket, as russia claimed, while the fact-finding mission never reached the site. In all, the colony held over three thousand prisoners.
Occupied territory 30 kilometres from Donetsk — access is impossible, there is no memorial on site. Commemorated every year on 29 July in Ukraine.