TSN Uncovers Identities Behind Olenivka Prison Massacre

The Television News Service (TSN) has identified individuals believed to be involved in the Olenivka prison massacre, in which over 53 Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed in an explosion.

This revelation was made in a special TSN report marking the third anniversary of the attack.

TSN investigative journalists were able to identify four individuals linked to the incident. Notably, three of them were later officially awarded Russian military honors.

According to TSN, one of the likely masterminds behind the attack is Kostiantin Popov, the head of a unit within the Federal Penitentiary Service operating under the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). Through the identification of Popov’s subordinates, investigators were able to uncover the involvement of three Russian military personnel.

Those identified are:

• Captain of the Internal Service Andrey Gavrylyuk – explosives technician and instructor of Assault Unit No. 1, Special Task Unit of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Stavropol Krai;
• Lieutenant of the Internal Service Daniil Batishchev – explosives technician and instructor of Assault Unit No. 2, Special Task Unit of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Stavropol Krai;
• Major of the Internal Service Vladimir Kondratenko – explosives technician and instructor of Assault Unit No. 3, Special Task Unit of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Krasnodar Krai.

All three individuals were mentioned in a commendation letter dated August 1, 2022 – just two days after the tragedy.

TSN investigators paid particular attention to their specialization as explosives technicians and instructors of assault units, who, for unknown reasons, were present at the barracks during the days leading up to the explosion that killed the Ukrainian defenders.

Additionally, analysts from the Centre for Human Rights in Armed Conflicts recently conducted a reconstruction of the events surrounding the deaths of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Olenivka. Their findings point to the possible involvement of the members of Russian security forces.

As part of their investigation, experts thoroughly examined the circumstances of the tragedy, which occurred at the prison colony in July 2022 and claimed the lives of at least 40 Ukrainian POWs – including the members of the Azov Regiment who had defended Azovstal.

The first reports of the mass killing came from Russian propaganda outlets, which accused Ukraine of carrying out a strike using a HIMARS rocket system.

However, experts from the Centre for Human Rights in Armed Conflicts (CHRC), after analyzing open sources, photo and video evidence, as well as eyewitness testimonies, concluded that the explosion in the so-called “Barrack 200” had been a premeditated act. According to their findings, the strike on the building was carried out using tube artillery – and it came from the Russian side.