WEB DESK
Dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war appear to have been killed in a missile strike today, with Moscow and Kyiv accusing each other of carrying out the attack.
The incident overshadowed U.N.-backed efforts to restart grain shipments from Ukraine and ease a looming global hunger crisis stemming from the war, now in its sixth month.
Russia’s defence ministry said 40 prisoners were killed and 75 wounded in the attack on the prison in the frontline town of Olenivka, in a part of Donetsk province held by separatists.
Russian news agencies accused Kyiv of targeting it with U.S.-made HIMARS rockets.
Ukraine’s armed forces denied carrying out strikes and blamed it on Russian forces, saying Russian artillery had targeted the prison.
The Russian defence ministry said the prison housed Ukrainian prisoners of war and eight prison staff were wounded. Russian-backed separatist leader Denis Pushilin was quoted as saying there were no foreigners among 193 people held there.