Explosion in Donetsk kills ex-chief of Olenivka prison suspected of war crimes against Ukrainian POWs
A Toyota Land Cruiser blast in occupied Donetsk resulted in the death of Sergei Evsyukov, the former head of the Olenivka prison, who was suspected by Kyiv of involvement in crimes against Ukrainian prisoners of war held there.
The death of Evsyukov was reported on Monday, December 9, by Russian Telegram channel Mash. According to its information, an explosive device equivalent to about 100 grams of TNT was planted under the vehicle. Evsyukov's wife was in the car with him, and the explosion severed her leg, according to the channel.
There have been no official confirmations of this information yet. Russia's state agency RIA Novosti reported that in the explosion of a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, “members of one family were injured,” noting that a man lost his leg. Meanwhile, TASS, citing its correspondent, reported an SUV exploded in central Donetsk, injuring a man and a woman who were subsequently hospitalized.
The Russian Investigative Committee stated that, "in connection with the incident in central Donetsk, resulting in vehicle damage and two locals injured," a criminal case had been opened. The RIC did not specify under which article the investigation was launched.
In late July 2022, an explosion occurred in one of the barracks of former correctional facility No. 120 in Olenivka, located in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic. At the time, the penal colony housed Ukrainian prisoners of war. The explosion resulted in 53 deaths and over 100 injuries.
Russia and Ukraine accused each other of the tragedy. Moscow alleged that the captives died from a missile strike launched by Ukraine with a HIMARS rocket. Kyiv claims the blast occurred inside the colony due to the use of thermobaric weapons. In July 2024, the Security Service of Ukraine announced suspicions against former Olenivka prison head Sergei Evsyukov and his former deputy Dmitry Neelov.
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights released a report in October 2023, stating that the Olenivka blast was not caused by a HIMARS missile fired by the Ukrainian army. Analysis of available photo and video materials indicated that damage to the barracks likely aligned with an attack from the east. The UN stated that Russia was endangering the safety of prisoners of war by holding them near the front lines, contradicting international humanitarian law provisions on POW safety. CNN had previously reached similar conclusions.