CNN denied the Russian version of the tragedy in Olenivka

An analysis of photos and videos from Olenivka as well as satellite images show that the version of events put forward by Russia does not correspond to reality.

As a reminder, more than 53 Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed and dozens were wounded as a result of an explosion at the prison in the temporally occupied Olenivka, Donetsk region, on July 29. The Russian party accused Ukraine of an attack of the colony by HIMARS.

However, the investigation conducted by CNN proves otherwise. According to it, the probability that the colony was hit by HIMARS is practically ruled out.

At the same time, all indications are that the Russian version is a fiction. Experts interviewed by CNN ruled out a strike from HIMARS, but cannot say for sure what caused the deaths of the prisoners. Most indications point to a massive fire in the building. Some witnesses also stated that no sounds of an approaching missile were heard.

Photos from the tragedy show that the walls of the building are still standing and most of the roof is intact. According to experts, if it had been a HIMARS strike, it would have caused much more damage. Moreover, pictures from the inside indicate a heavy large-scale fire.

In addition, the morning after the explosion, Russian propagandists showed fragments of the missile, one of which shows the HIMARS serial number, but the wreckage is surprisingly in good condition, despite the fire that occurred in the building.

Experts say that the images and video from Olenivka are inconsistent with the HIMARS attack. This can be clearly seen if we compare it with the images of the occupant compound destroyed by HIMARS in Nova Kakhovka, Kherson region, in July (see above).

“There’s no crater anywhere in those videos, the beds did not move, pillars are undamaged, but there is massive fire damage visible. If it was a guided multiple launch rocket system, you’d see craters, ceilings and walls shattered, bodies blown up,” a weapons expert said.

They also find it surprising that the HIMARS fragments were not photographed exactly at the scene of the incident, although this is a fundamental element of any investigation.

U.S. officials have also rejected the version that HIMARS was used.

“It’s clear to our explosive experts that this wasn’t a high explosive strike from the outside. It’s much more likely to be incendiary, and from inside the location,” an official told CNN.

As reported before, U.S. officials believe that Russia is working to fabricate evidence of the strike on the colony.

The UN announced recently it would launch a fact-finding mission to investigate the attack on the colony.

Author – Anastasiya Glotova, 11/08/2022