After a "Shahed" strike on the Mykolaiv pre-trial detention center, they are deciding where to relocate the convicted prisoners

On the night of September 10, 2026, Russian forces attacked the state institution “Mykolaiv Pre-Trial Detention Center” in Mykolaiv. After the strike, the question arose about the further safe accommodation and evacuation of people held at the facility. According to information available at this time, there were no casualties as a result of the strike on the detention center.

The attack was reported during a session of the Mykolaiv Regional Council on September 10 by the representative of the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights in the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions, Vasyl Donets.

From the statement of Vasyl Donets it follows that after the facility was damaged, the responsible services must determine how to ensure the safety of the people held there going forward. Where exactly they might be evacuated to and how many people may be affected by the relocation have not been made public. It is worth clarifying that the pre-trial detention center holds not only already convicted persons, but also people taken into custody and those whose court proceedings are ongoing. That is why Vasyl Donets in his statement specifically mentioned “the convicted and those who are there”.

Shortly before the Russian strike, the Mykolaiv pre-trial detention center was inspected by a group of the National Preventive Mechanism. The visit took place on August 18–19, 2026, and its results were published by the Ombudsman’s Office on August 28. During the inspection, a number of problems were found regarding the observance of the rights of people held in the place of detention. In particular, representatives of the Ombudsman reported the absence of a permanent drinking-water supply system, problems with forced ventilation in some cells, unsanitary conditions and the absence of staff call buttons. Violations were also recorded regarding the separate holding of different categories of detainees and convicted persons.

The current strike on the detention center occurred against the background of an almost continuous series of Russian attacks on Mykolaiv. During September 9 and in the night of September 10, the enemy used UAVs “Shahed-238”, guided aerial bombs and “Banderol” rockets. The city’s port, industrial and civilian infrastructure came under attack. No separate official details regarding the extent of damage to the Mykolaiv pre-trial detention center itself had been released as of the time of publication.

Earlier we wrote:

• Police record Russian attacks that took the lives of four people, 19 more wounded
• Fires broke out in Mykolaiv due to Russian attacks: 4 people died
• Russian drone damaged the “Prometei” elevator in Mykolaiv
• In Mykolaiv a policeman was killed during enemy shelling
• A fragment of a “Shahed” hit the head of a woman who was riding in a car: in Mykolaiv a drone exploded on a busy street