Donetsk colony with Ukrainian POWs struck – Russian media

Russian media stated the Donetsk penal colony №124 was struck.

It is reported that Ukrainian prisoners of war were held in the institution.

The information came from pro-government Russian media, confirmation from the Ukrainian side has not yet been received.

Russian media reported casualties as a result of the shelling.

There is no information about the victims. It is not known for sure how many POWs were held in Donetsk penal colony №124 at the time of the attack.

The maximum capacity of the Donetsk penal colony equals to 1,300 people.

Also, before the war, the colony had a medical facility with 200 beds.

Killing of POWs

On August 3, the Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported that the Russian side was not planning to exchange prisoners of war.

Thus, to conceal the improper conditions and forms of questioning faced by Ukrainian POWs, they deliberately eliminated the prisoners.

“POWs were interrogated by investigative officers of the so-called ‘DPR’s ministry of state security together with the Wagner Group and Russia’s FSB. Interrogators actively used physical torture and beating. Such measures were aimed, first of all, not at receiving certain confidential data but at inflicting torture, physical humiliation and psychological demoralization in order to undermine the morale of Ukrainian defenders. The FSB representatives planned to involve Ukrainian POWs in filming pro-Russian video reports. The key objective was to show Ukrainian defenders allegedly confessing to “the crimes and atrocities committed against civilians, renouncing their views and condemning the actions of the Ukrainian leadership,” the statement reads.

Intelligence noted that interrogations were carried out on a conveyor basis but had no success. Ukrainian POWs showed exceptional courage and indomitable spirit.

“The Russian side was not planning to exchange prisoners of war and, in order to conceal the improper conditions and forms of questioning faced by Ukrainian POWs (which could serve as an evidence base in The Hague court), deliberately eliminated the prisoners. According to the available data, the premises where Ukrainian POWs were kept had been mined by the Wagner Group’s militants, using a flammable substance, which resulted in the rapid spread of the fire,” the Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported.