A Russian aerial bomb attack on a penal colony in southeastern Ukraine killed at least 17 and injured at least 42 people people late on Monday (July 28), Ukrainian officials said.

Ukraine's justice ministry said in a statement the prison's dining hall had been destroyed and other parts damaged in a strike that involved four high-explosive aerial bombs.

Reuters video coverage from the colony in Bilenke, Zaporizhzhia region showed parts of the prison destroyed and several inmates with injuries. The footage was reviewed by local authorities as part of the reporting trip, but no footage was removed.

Two prisoners told Reuters they had seen many dead fellow inmates in the immediate aftermath of the attack.

The prison's deputy head Dmytro Azarov said at least 16 inmates had been killed. Ukraine's justice ministry put the overall death toll at 17 people and said 42 were wounded.

There was no immediate comment from Russia which denies targeting civilians in their strikes, but thousands of civilians have been killed in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainians.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Russian bombs kill 17 in Ukrainian penal colony

VIDEO SHOWS: AFTERMATH OF ATTACK ON PENAL COLONY, VARIOUS DAMAGE, RUBBLE, SOUNDBITES FROM PRISONERS AND PRISON DEPUTY HEAD

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: This footage was reviewed by local authorities as part of the reporting trip. No footage was removed.

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: BILENKE, ZAPORIZHZHIA REGION, UKRAINE (JULY 29, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF INJURED PRISONERS

2. INJURED PRISONERS LEAVING PRISON YARD, AWAITING FURTHER EVACUATION

3. DESTROYED PRISON BUILDING

4. DESTROYED BUILDING / WRITING ON WALL READING (Ukrainian): "Be careful - dangerous FPV drone"

5. INJURED PRISONER WALKING THROUGH DAMAGED CORRIDOR

6. VARIOUS OF DAMAGED PRISON ROOM, PRISONER LYING ON BED

7. INJURED PRISON INMATE, YAROSLAV SAMARSKIY, 54 YEARS OLD

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) INJURED PRISON INMATE, YAROSLAV SAMARSKIY, 54 YEARS OLD, SAYING:

"There was one bomb, then another one hit the canteen. Then there was a third one. It was dark, there was dust, people were shouting, some were alive, some dead. Some had lost their legs, and half of the people were on fire."

9. SAMARSKIY'S INJURED ARM

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) INJURED PRISON INMATE, YAROSLAV SAMARSKIY, 54 YEARS OLD, SAYING:

"I couldn't see anything. I treated one man's leg, I took of my shirt and applied it as bandage. But he didn't arrive to the hospital alive. I didn't see it then, but half of his leg was already missing. Whatever I applied with my T-shirt - I simply took off my T-shirt - didn't help him."

11. GUARD TOWER

12. PRISON GUARDS

13. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) INJURED PRISON INMATE, YAROSLAV SAMARSKIY, 54 YEARS OLD, SAYING:

"26 people were in our barrack, and seven people (were killed)."

14. VARIOUS OF BLOOD AND SHATTERED GLASS

15. DESTROYED PRISON ROOM, RUBBLE

16. BLOOD, RUBBLE

17. VARIOUS OF INMATE LOOKING THROUGH FENCE

18. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) PRISON INMATE, ANATOLII HAYEVOY, SAYING:

"Something fell on me. I tried to get out, towards the light. There were guys, like (gestures)... like they went through a meat grinder. I slowly got out. It was horrible."

19. VARIOUS OF INMATES WITH BAGS WAITING

20. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) DEPUTY HEAD OF PRISON, DMYTRO AZAROV, SAYING:

"An airstrike on our facility killed 16 inmates as of now. Around 40 have shrapnel injuries. They are in different conditions."

21. INJURED INMATE, TAKING BAG, LEAVING

22. SIGN, BARBED WIRE

23. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) DEPUTY HEAD OF PRISON, DMYTRO AZAROV, SAYING:

"We might evacuate them to a safer place, and as of now, we're working on a solution."

24. VARIOUS OF INMATES CARRYING BAGS

25. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) DEPUTY HEAD OF PRISON, DMYTRO AZAROV, SAYING:

"They might have done this because the facility is close to the front line. It was an easy target for the enemy, and thus they can discredit the work of our facility. We also wear military uniform. Or maybe it was simply an act of terror."

26. INMATE CARRYING BAG

27. BARBED WIRE, DESTROYED PRISON BUILDING

28. DESTROYED PRISON BUILDING

29. VARIOUS OF DAMAGED BUILDINGS

30. PRISON GUARDS CALLING INMATES, INMATE LEAVING

31. PRISON GUARDS WALKING PAST RUBBLE