Kyiv.- The Ministry of Justice Ukrainian confirmed this Tuesday that 17 Ukrainian inmates from a prison located in the area under Kyiv’s control in the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia died in the attack by the Russian Army on the penitentiary center’s facilities, shortly before midnight last night.
“As a result of the attack, 17 people among the condemned have died, and another 42 have been injured. The seriously injured have been hospitalized in clinics of the Ministry of Health,” Justice stated in a statement.
As explained, Russia used four guided aerial bombs in the attack, high-powered explosives equipped with their own navigation systems, which allow them to be launched from aircraft dozens of kilometers away from the target.
The attack completely destroyed the prison canteen and caused substantial damage to the administrative building and the space used to isolate prisoners for health reasons.
Nearly fifty prison officers were mobilized to mitigate the consequences of the event.
“All the injured are receiving medical assistance” under surveillance, Justice indicated, adding that the perimeter of the penitentiary institution has not been damaged and there is no risk of escapes.
“This attack once again demonstrates how the armed forces of the Russian Federation flagrantly violate international humanitarian law. Attacking civilian infrastructure, and in particular a penitentiary, is considered a war crime,” emphasizes the Ministry of Justice.
The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had previously condemned the “deliberate” nature of this Russian attack.
