A presentation took place in Kyiv for the book «Olenivka. Crime. Memory. Broken System», which chronicles the horrific events leading to the deaths of numerous Ukrainian military personnel - defenders of Mariupol.

According to Chytomo, the publication was created by the Media Initiative for Human Rights (MIPL), the memory platform «Memorial», and The Ukrainians Publishing house.

The foreword was written by the commander of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine «Azov» Denis «Redis» Prokopenko.

The book consists of four parts. As explained by the editor of The Ukrainians Media, Vira Kuryko, the structure allows readers to see both the events and the systemic context in which these crimes occurred.

«My goal was to create a book that is restrained yet comprehensible. I know these texts by heart. This reading is very challenging, especially during wartime, but we talk about everything related to the crime, which can be discussed», - she noted.

On the night of July 29, 2022, an explosion occurred in one of the premises of the Olenivka colony, claiming the lives of at least 47 Ukrainian prisoners of war who had been held there after a heroic 86-day defense of Mariupol.

The first part of the book reconstructs the events before, during, and after the explosion, relying on testimonies from survivors in «Barrack 200».

The second section features portraits and stories of all who died in the colony, an attempt to restore their names and voices, according to co-founder of the memory platform «Memorial» Gayane Avakyan.

«Everyone whose name is recorded here deserves justice. It's crucial to document every story and name the guilty parties», - she emphasized.

The third section analyzes why the international justice system has proven powerless in the face of Russian war crimes.

As of now, Russia has not been held accountable for any of these crimes, and the mass killing of Ukrainian prisoners in Olenivka has not even been investigated.

The final, fourth part of the publication tells about those who still remain in Russian captivity.

«Captivity has only one objective - to remove a person from combat. However, inhumane conditions, torture, and executions have nothing to do with this. International humanitarian law sets boundaries to protect those not engaged in fighting. Russia systematically and cynically violates these rules», - reminded the head of MIPL and co-author of the book Tatiana Katrychenko.

The presentation gathered over 100 attendees, including former captives and families of the deceased.