Ukraine claims the mayor has been "kidnapped," while Russia acts "like ISIS terrorists."

 

President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukrainian officials say the mayor of Melitopol in southern Ukraine was kidnapped on Friday by Russian military occupying the city.

"The mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, was kidnapped by a group of ten occupants," Ukraine's parliament announced on Twitter.

It went on to say, "He refused to cooperate with the enemy."

The mayor was apprehended while dealing with supply concerns at the city's crisis center, according to the report.

Late Friday, Zelensky confirmed the kidnapping in a video message, calling Fedorov "a mayor who heroically defends Ukraine and the members of his community."

"This is clearly an evidence of the invaders' weakness... They've progressed to a new level of horror, attempting to physically destroy representatives of genuine local Ukrainian authority "he stated

"The kidnapping of Melitopol's mayor is thus a crime committed not only against a single person, but also against a town and Ukraine. It's a slap in the face to democracy... The Russian invaders' actions would be compared to those of Islamic State militants "he stated

Kirillo Timoshenko, the deputy head of Ukraine's presidential administration, previously shared a video on Telegram showing soldiers emerging from a building with a man clothed in black, his head seemingly covered by a black bag.

Another regional official, the deputy head of the regional council of Zaporizhzhia — 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Melitopol — was seized and released a few days ago, according to the Ukrainian parliament.