Ukraine and Russia trade blame after explosion kills dozens of Ukrainian POWs

High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers, seen here in Morocco
(Image credit: FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images)

Russia and Ukraine blamed each other on Friday for an explosion at a prison in Russian-occupied Donetsk that killed dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war, CNN and Reuters reported.

Russia says 40 were killed and 75 wounded, while a spokesman for the Russian-backed separatists put the death toll at 53. The prison held many of the Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered after the months-long siege of Mariupol's Azovstal steelworks.

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Grayson Quay

Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-GazetteModern AgeThe American ConservativeThe Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.