On July 28, 2025, at approximately 11:28 p.m., the Russian armed forces carried out an airstrike on the territory of the Bilenke Penal Colony in Zaporizhzhia region using four guided aerial bombs.
This was reported by Censor.NET, citing the press center of the Ministry of Justice.
According to the report, the strike completely destroyed the facility’s dining hall and caused significant damage to the administrative headquarters and the quarantine unit.
As a result of the attack, 17 inmates were killed and another 42 were injured. Those with severe injuries were hospitalized in Ministry of Health facilities. Around 40 others sustained varying degrees of bodily injuries, and one staff member suffered minor wounds (shrapnel injuries to the face).
“Approximately 50 security officers of the State Criminal-Executive Service of Ukraine have been deployed to maintain order at the facility. All those injured have received medical assistance and are currently under supervision in the medical unit, the duty unit, and other departments of the institution. The facility’s perimeter remains intact, and there is no threat of escape,” the statement reads.
“This strike once again demonstrates a gross violation of international humanitarian law by the armed forces of the Russian Federation. The shelling of civilian infrastructure, including penitentiary institutions, is regarded as a war crime,” the Ministry of Justice added.
As reported earlier, Russian forces attacked one of the penitentiary facilities in the Zaporizhzhia region overnight, killing 16 people and injuring 35 others.
Tags: bilenke pemal colony Kharkiv russian strike
