The Russian occupiers kidnapped the mayor of Melitopol, who refused to cooperate with them
The Russian occupiers abducted Mayor Ivan Fedorov in broad daylight from a humanitarian centre where he was trying to help his fellow townspeople.
Russian troops occupied the city of Melitopol in southern Ukraine on March 1. Since then, local unarmed and defenseless residents have held rallies against the occupation almost daily. The next day after Fedorov’s capture, about 2,000 Melitopol residents were not afraid to rally again. This time with a demand to release the mayor.
At the time, President Zelenskiy commented: “The mayor of Melitopol is still alive. However, he is being tortured for not wanting to say that he is happy to see the Russian authorities.”
Fortunately as of March 16, Mayor Fedorov was released from Russian captivity and safely transported to Zaporizhzhia.
Fedorov is not the only one abducted by the occupiers in the city. The same happened with the coordinator of the protests Olga Gaisumova, the deputy of the Zaporizhia regional council Leyla Ibragimova, and the chairman of the district council Serhiy Priyma.