Russian soldiers kidnap Ukrainian mayor, president compares to Islamic State

10 Russian soldiers kidnapped mayor Ivan Fedorov of the Ukrainian city of Melitopol yesterday. Ukrainian parliament members allege the soldiers kidnapped him when he was at the city’s crisis centre dealing with supply issues. In a video message last night, Ukraine’s president confirmed the kidnapping, and described the mayor as a brave man who defends his community.

“This is obviously a sign of weakness of the invaders… They have moved to a new stage of terror…”.

The president went on to say that Russia’s actions will be regarded “like those of Islamic State terrorists”. He said the kidnapping was a crime against democracy, because officials like the mayor are legitimate representatives of local Ukrainian authorities.

A tweet by Ukraine’s parliament also spoke of the mayor’s bravery, saying he refused to cooperate with ‘the enemy’.

❗ Warning ❗
A group of 10 occupiers kidnapped the mayor of #Melitopol (Zaporizhzhya region) Ivan Fedorov. He refused to cooperate with the enemy.#StopRussia #StopPutin
👇 pic.twitter.com/nV6OPlbGfh

— Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (@ua_parliament) March 11, 2022

On Wednesday, Russian forces bombed a maternity ward in the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol. The attack came despite Russia agreeing to a 12-hour ceasefire to allow civilians to flee from towns and cities. Pregnant women and children are believed to be buried beneath the rubble. At least 17 people were wounded in the attack.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post