Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has accused Russia of kidnapping Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov, comparing Putin’s actions to those of “ISIS terrorists.”
Fedorov was apprehended on Friday while dealing with supply issues at the city’s crisis center.
However, Zelensky confirmed the kidnapping in a video message late Friday, calling Fedorov’s capture a crime.
“They have transitioned into a new stage of terror, in which they try to physically liquidate representatives of Ukraine’s lawful local authorities,” Zelenskyy said in a video address Friday evening.
“This is obviously a sign of weakness of the invaders… They have moved to a new stage of terror in which they are trying to physically eliminate representatives of legitimate local Ukrainian authorities.
“The capture of the mayor of Melitopol is, therefore, a crime, not only against a particular person, against a particular community, and not only against Ukraine. It’s a crime against democracy itself… The acts of the Russian invaders will be regarded like those of Islamic State terrorists,” he added.
The war between Ukraine and Russia began in February.
The war enters its sixteenth day today, with massive casualties already recorded.
Russian President, Vladimir Putin, who had ordered the invasion of Ukraine over disagreements on some political issues, had listed some conditions to end the war.
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