He was thought to have been grabbed by ten soldiers and a plastic bag put over his head
The mayor of the
Ukrainian city of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, has been abducted by
Russian forces, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The abduction was captured on local CCTV footage in which you see
President Putin's troops swiftly seize a man thought to be Federov. Upon closer inspection, they can be seen to have placed a plastic bag over his head as he is detained and taken prisoner.
https://twitter.com/ua_parliament/status/1502323129841946628?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1502323129841946628%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fmayor-of-ukrainian-city-melitopol-abducted-by-russia-officials-say-2022-3
Federov was reportedly helping man a local crisis centre in the southeastern city when ten individuals were said to have abducted him as the
Russian invasion continues to push further into the region.
You can see the moment he is grabbed outside the building as local civilians are forced to standby and watch in the video below:
https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1502326338518241295?s=20&t=jppW323rDbAs8QnU2b6bsQ
Speaking in a public address on his Facebook page, Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, which the foreign office labelled a "war crime", adding that combatants "have transitioned into a new stage of terror... They are trying to physically eliminate representatives of legitimate local Ukrainian authorities."
Melitopol, a city with a population of approximately 150,000 people, was taken by Russian forces on February 26; not only is there alleged abduction of the mayor being considered a war crime but they have
already used thermobaric weapons in the conflict - a weapon banned under the Geneva Convention.
Elsewhere in the country, intelligence suggests that fighting has increased around
Kyiv and as well as building numbers around the outskirts, it is thought that troops are now set to once again try and take the capital.
The latest footage shows tanks assembling into "firing positions" in nearby towns, having already seized control of several border regions and the Crimea entirely.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-YGIWhroI0
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