The Red Cross says it cannot visit the facility in Olenivka.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has not yet received permission to visit the site of Friday’s attack that killed several Ukrainian prisoners of war, it said on Sunday, condemning the incident at the Olenivka facility.
“Families need urgent news and answers about what happened to their loved ones. “The parties should do everything in their power, including impartial investigations, to help establish the facts behind the attack,” it said in a statement.
Ukraine and Russia have traded accusations over the missile attack or explosion in the front-line town of Olenivkas that killed prisoners held by Moscow-backed separatists.
Russia on Sunday invited experts from the United Nations and the Red Cross to investigate the incident.
Moscow has released a list of 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war killed and 73 wounded in what it said was a Ukrainian military attack with a US-made High Mobility Artillery Missile System (HIMARS).
Ukraine’s armed forces have denied responsibility, saying Russian artillery attacked the prison to cover up mistreatment.
In addition to seeking access, the ICRC also offered to help evacuate the wounded and donate supplies.
“To date, we have not received any official confirmation allowing us access to visit the site or prisoners affected by the attack and, to date, our offer of material assistance has not been accepted,” the statement said.
Red Cross teams were ready to deploy to Olenivka and already had medical, forensic and humanitarian teams nearby, the release said.
“It is imperative that the ICRC be given immediate access to the Olenivka facility and other places where the wounded and dead could have been transferred to carry out the humanitarian mission,” the announcement emphasized.
“However, it is not the ICRC’s role or mandate to conduct public inquiries into alleged war crimes.”
