Red Cross says request to visit POWs in Olenivka 'not granted'; terms it 'an obligation'

Red Cross Ukraine on July 30 stated that its request to access site where  Prisoners of War (POWs) were targetted via a missile at  Olenivka penal facility was rejected by pro-Russian DPR authorities. In a tweet fired on Sunday, humanitarian organisation said: "To be clear, our request to access POWs from Olenivka penal facility yesterday has not been granted." It continued to inform that organisation was denied access to POWs, which y wrote "is an obligation of parties to conflict under Geneva Conventions." 

humanitarian body's response came as Russia's Ministry of Defense announced that it has invited experts from United Nations and Red Cross to launch an investigation into military attack on a pre-trial detention centre near Olenivka. prison facility is located in Donbass region and was targetted with US-supplied HIMARS rocket systems which killed 53 Ukrainian prisoners of war, Russian Defense Ministry asserted. Red Cross, however, stated that DPR authorities restricted its staff access to inspect site. 

“In order to conduct an objective investigation of attack on pre-trial detention centre in Yelenovka, which led to death of a large number of Ukrainian prisoners of war, Russian Federation has officially invited experts from UN and International Committee of Red Cross,”  Russian defence ministry said, according to state-affiliated Sputnik. 

Red Cross denied visiting Lugansk People’s Republic’s prisoners of war

 International Committee of Red Cross officials h earlier claimed that it was denied visiting Lugansk People’s Republic’s prisoners of war. LPR’s ambassor to Russia, Rodion Miroshnik, h blamed Ukraine for causing disruptions, ding that ICRC staffers must be allowed to regularly visit  POWs held on territories of Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republic. denial of  humanitarian organisation to visit POWs-held areas has been widely questioned since launch of military intervention by Russians. 

"In contrast to Ukrainian side, we allow ICRC personnel to visit us and to look into conditions at detention centres. In Ukraine, y are not permitted to do same. re has been no reaction from ICRC regarding our men," LPR’s ambassor to Russia Miroshnik h claimed on Russia’s Channel One, criticising Ukraine. Meanwhile, he of Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, h said that  ICRC staff was allowed to inspect Ukrainian military personnel who h surrendered from  stronghold of Azovstal plant in Mariupol while y were in custody. 

On July 29, Russia's defence ministry claimed that Ukrainian military forces fired a US-supplied long-range missile in separatist-held territory that has claimed lives of over Ukrainian prisoners of war. At least 75 ors were critically injured. Moscow's MoD claimed that Ukrainian forces h fired rocket from High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) that landed on  colony in village of Yelenovka. It slammed Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's 'criminal' regime and Ukraine's ally United States for what it described as  'carnage' against  Ukrainian forces, who, as per DPR officials, were on Russia's side.