Russian MoD claims 'most' Ukrainian prisoners of war killed or injured in Ukraine strike

Russian Defence Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov has said that "most" of the 193 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) in Yelenovka were killed or wounded in the Ukrainian strike. He accused Ukraine of "deliberately" launching missile strikes using a US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system at the detention facility near Yelenovka, TASS reported. Konashenkov claimed that 50 Ukrainians have been killed in the missile strike as of July 30. 

According to Igor Konashenkov, the remains of 48 Ukrainian prisoners of war have been found under the rubble and two more Ukrainian prisoners of war died in hospital after being wounded in the strike, as per the TASS report. The Russian MoD Spokesperson Igor Konashenkov claimed that 73 Ukraine's PoW has been undergoing treatment in the hospital after suffering heavy injuries. In the daily briefing on July 30, Konashenkov said that Russian forces hit eight command posts, including those of the 80th Airborne Assault Brigade near Seversk and the 72nd Mechanized Brigade near Artemovsk. He underscored that Russian forces have destroyed three depots of missile and artillery weapons of the 72nd mechanized brigade near Artemovsk and the 24th Mechanized Brigade near Soledar in DPR.

Russia claims to have shot down Ukraine's MiG-29 aircraft

Furthermore, Konashenkov said that Russian aerospace fighter aircraft brought down a MiG-29 aircraft of Ukraine near Kryvyi Rih. According to him, Russian air defence has brought down Ukraine's 13 unmanned aerial vehicles and 6 shells of multiple launch rocket systems have been intercepted in the air. Russian Defence Ministry Spokesperson Igor Konashenkov has claimed that Ukraine has lost 261 aircraft, 145 helicopters, 1644 unmanned aerial vehicles and 361 anti-aircraft missile systems. Apart from these, 4,190 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 772 multiple launch rocket systems, 3,217 field artillery and 4,573 special military vehicles of Ukraine have been destroyed in the ongoing conflict. 

Kuleba calls on Ukraine's partners to designate Russia as a 'terrorist state'

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have denied making carrying out strikes in Olenivka. Ukrainian forces accused the Russian forces shelling the prison to cover up the alleged torture inflicted on Ukrainians, according to AP. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on Ukraine's partners to recognize Russia as a "terrorist state" after accusing Russian forces of carrying out attacks on facilities where they held Ukrainian prisoners of war in captured region of Olenivka. Taking to Twitter, Kuleba called on Ukraine's partners to "strongly condemn" Russia's actions which he termed a "brutal violation" of international and humanitarian law.

Inputs from AP

Image: AP