The stench of death was everywhere. It's almost certain that Ukraine did this intentionally, to its own soldiers who had surrendered &, as Basurin pointed out, were confessing their murdering of Donbass civilians, which came from commanders' orders, which came from Kiev. pic.twitter.com/bq3zusjpX6
— Eva Karene Bartlett (@EvaKBartlett) July 29, 2022
When you hear “the Zelensky people are killing POWs,” you think “well, that’s not particularly surprising at all.”
Then you read the story.
RT:
The US on Friday declined to speculate on the shelling of the Ukrainian prisoners in Elenovka, saying it did not have enough information to do so. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern about the incident, but his office said he lacked firsthand reports to comment further. Dozens of “Azov” fighters housed at the complex were killed in what Russia says was a strike by HIMARS rockets supplied by the US to Ukraine.
“We just don’t have enough information to speak intelligently about these very early reports,” John Kirby, spokesman for the US National Security Council, told reporters.
According to an unnamed senior Pentagon official, Americans “don’t have any definitive information” on what happened and whether the facility was struck by Ukraine or Russia.
The facility in Elenovka, south of Donetsk, housed hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners – mainly members of the “Azov” neo-Nazi militia captured in Mariupol in May. It was struck at around 2 am on Friday, as the prisoners were asleep. As of Friday afternoon, Donetsk People’s Republic authorities say 53 people were killed and 75 were injured.
The government in Kiev accused Russia of carrying out the attack on the territory of its Donbass ally. DPR authorities, however, showed fragments of what they said were rockets used by HIMARS, the rocket artillery supplied to the Ukrainian military by the US.
Ukrainian authorities also knew exactly where the “Azov” prisoners were being held, DPR militia spokesman Eduard Basurin told reporters, accusing Kiev of ordering the strike. He said the attack was intended to kill the “Azov” fighters who began to testify about war crimes and other atrocities Ukrainian forces had been involved in.
Wow – what a weird story.
Zelensky is like “we need to kill our POWs” and his goons are like “we’re on it, boss.” Then he’s like, “no – I mean OUR POWs.”
You can picture this scene like Shredder trying to give instructions to Rocksteady and Bebop.
Zelensky’s goons are like “well waddaya mean, boss? We’re already killing the POWs like you done told us to!”
Just like with every single thing that happens, The Guardian is claiming that Russia bombed their own POW camp.
Prison attack that killed Ukraine PoWs a war crime, says Zelenskiy, amid calls for UN inquiry https://t.co/lzomhzWoHN
— The Guardian (@guardian) July 30, 2022
It’s actually amazing. I mean, yes, you can report that Zelensky is saying that Russia fired rockets at their own POW camp. I think you have to report that. But that headline and that tweet are designed to make people think that Russia is killing POWs for no reason.
Firing rockets at your own POW camp is insane on a number of different levels. For one, unless you evacuated all the guards, you would be killing your own people. More importantly, there is no reason to kill POWs, unless you are desperate and trying to demoralize the opposition (which is what the Ukraine was doing in releasing videos of themselves torturing POWs). But these are Azov POWs who were supposed to be testifying about war crimes. And we’re supposed to believe that Putin ordered his own POW camp bombed to kill them? I mean, even if he wanted to kill them, he could just poison them or something, right? Who is going to bomb their own POW camp?
The New York Times would not have the nerve to say “Russia is firing HIMARS at their own POW camps!”
Instead, on the same day this story broke, the Times published a goofy op-ed from the “Ukraine” people.
I’ve noticed this a lot during the Ukraine conflict – The Guardian will print straight copy from the Ukraine government while the New York Times either tries to figure out an angle, or just doesn’t report on the story at all (beyond a back page minor mention).
The State Department plays this game with the NYT and WaPo.
WaPo has a less ridiculous headline than The Guardian.
Ukraine govt says: “In this way, the Russian occupiers pursued their criminal goals — to accuse Ukraine of committing ‘war crimes’, as well as to hide the torture of prisoners and executions which they carried out there” https://t.co/CgoAJ7imwT
— Fredrick Kunkle WaPo (@KunkleFredrick) July 29, 2022
But they included a bizarro quote from an alleged DoD official.
US is speculating that Russia killed Ukrainian POWs & then staged a scene to frame Ukraine.
When similar allegations are lodged against insurgents in Syria — except with overwhelming evidence (see OPCW leaks) — that gets dismissed as "atrocity denial" &"conspiracy theories." https://t.co/zMCe5IPbAI
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) July 30, 2022
So, what is the claim here, exactly? Was it intended as a false flag, or did they want to kill POWs for some other reason, and then just decided to blame the Ukraine?
You would pretty much have to say it was planned as a false flag, but it is so bizarre, and the false flag explanation so convoluted, that even if you were in the habit of believing the media, this would be hard to swallow.
Franky: this accusation that Russia bombed its own POW camp is one of the weirdest things I’ve ever even seen reported by any news outlet, ever.
#Yelenovka prison housing Azov POWs came under multiple rocket attacks. 50+ prisoners killed. Claims and counterclaims attributing the responsibility of the attack. Writ of dis information runs large #ukraine pic.twitter.com/YQFfkmLPpG
— TANKMAN (@TANKMANN2) July 29, 2022
But I guess we have to go back to the old metric: people who will believe trannies exist, and that there is such a thing as child trannies, will believe anything. So you can just tell people Russia bombed its own POW camp, filled with prisoners who had already allegedly made deals to testify on war crimes.
This is wacko.
Today’s shelling of a POW/filtration camp is absolutely repugnant. Along with reports of barbaric, inhuman treatment of POWs by Russian forces. We need accountability, and Ukraine needs the means to defend itself against such horrors perpetrated on its territory.
— Michael Carpenter, U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE (@USAmbOSCE) July 29, 2022
#Ukraine calls on #UN and the #RedCross to investigate deaths of over 50 #Ukrainian POWs in occupied #Yelenivka.
The Red Cross said it was trying to gain access to the burned prison. pic.twitter.com/oZx6G1xYnW
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) July 30, 2022
Today, #Russia killed more than 50 Ukrainian POWs. They bombed the prison in the village of #Olenivka, where the POWs were kept, and even tried to shift the blame to #Ukraine. But they will fail.
And they will pay for every Ukrainian killed!
— Inna Sovsun (@InnaSovsun) July 29, 2022
‼️"#Russia is a state sponsor of terror. They’re just a murderous terrorist regime with no regard for human life at all”. @RepBrianFitz's comment about the attack on POWs in #Olenivka #Ukraine to my colleague @KaterynaLis.pic.twitter.com/OmP9eOT5DT
— Ostap Yarysh (@OstapYarysh) July 29, 2022
Yes. They just executed Ukrainian POWs in cold blood, pinned it on Ukraine – and many in the world will buy it.
That’s the kind of evil that we deal with now. #StopRussiaNOW #StandWithUkraine️ #RussiaIsATerroristState https://t.co/DkEMNksIb2— olexander scherba🇺🇦 (@olex_scherba) July 29, 2022
«Our enemies must know – they will not find peace at Earth.» Ukraine’s Commander in Chief Zaluzhnyi comments on Russia’s atrocities against POWs pic.twitter.com/V18DdYiJGK
— Daria Kaleniuk (@dkaleniuk) July 29, 2022
The Office of the President of Ukraine is demanding the reaction from the international community to Russia’s mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war in a detention camp in Russian-occupied Olenivka.https://t.co/JEGuNDwasA
— The New Voice of Ukraine (@NewVoiceUkraine) July 30, 2022
It‘s difficult to establish what exactly has happened in Olenivka. Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of destroying the prison and killing scores of Ukrainian POWs. Many Ukrainians say, they don’t need proof to know, who is behind this:„Russia – a terrorist state“. More @dwnews pic.twitter.com/IcY2pSfTn2
— Fanny Facsar (@FannyFacsar) July 30, 2022
Russian propaganda says Ukraine killed POWs from Azovstal, killed our own heroes. They say we shoot ourselves.
So do we kill our civilians and children ourselves? Castrate ourselves? Rape ourselves? Rob ourselves?
How much more proof is necessary to prove Russia is a terrorist? pic.twitter.com/fACHLHKuMv— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) July 29, 2022
I will say: I don’t think this is going to be a top headline for long.