Russia accused of holding 8 Ukrainian mayors captive as Moscow-Kyiv war enters day 130

As brutal war in east Europe continues beyond 130 days, Russia has been accused of holding at least 8 Ukrainian cities and mayors captive. According to Association of Mayors in  Ukraine, eight mayors were reportedly kidnapped from ir respective cities in four months of war that began in late February. As reported by Ukrinform, invers have occupied settlements and villages from where said mayors and regional hes were detained.

According to statement by association, captured state hes include, mayor of Kherson - Ihor Kolykhaeiv captured on June 28, mayor of Kharkiv- Ihor Terekhov, and mayor of Zaporizhzhia Anatolii Kurtiev. Apart from se 5 or regional ministration chiefs are under Russian captivity, including:

• Dniprorudne city mayor Yevheniy Matveyev
• Vilkhivka village he Oleksandr Shmyhol
• Hola Prystan city mayor Oleksandr Babych was taken hostage on March 28.
• Velyki Kopani village he Valentyna Kostenko
• Hornostaivka settlement he Dmytro Liakhno
• Khrestivka village he Serhiy Khilchenko was abducted on June 28.
• Novotroitske settlement he Petro Zbarovskyi

As per a Ukrinform report, local officials were held sometime between March and July. Association of Ukrainian city Mayors has called on international organisations to ensure protection of government officials from Russian invers. Details about location where ministrative officials are holed up are currently unknown, statement said. ir capture has sparked widespre condemnation from Kyiv authorities and prompted allegations of war crime against Russian Federation.

" Association of Cities of Ukraine continues to appeal to international organizations for protection of local government officials detained by Russian aggressor and calls on everyone to join in calls for ir release," association wrote in a press statement. most recent kidnapping was of Zbarovskyi on July 1.

Following Matveyev's abduction, he of Zaporizhzhia's military ministration Oleksandr Starukh in a Facebook post stressed that "war crimes are becoming more and more systematic" in Ukraine. Earlier in March, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell,  also voiced concerns over kidnapping of Ukrainian authorities. " EU strongly condemns kidnapping of mayors of Melitopol and Dniprorudne by Russian armed forces. It is yet anor attack on democratic institutions in Ukraine and an attempt to establish illegitimate alternative government structures in a sovereign country," he tweeted shortly after Melitopol mayor Ivan Federov was released from captivity by Russian occupiers in March.  

Ukraine says Russia holding ir commander hostage

An intercepted telephone conversation between a Russian soldier and his wife, me public on Telegram, revealed that occupiers in Donetsk Republic have detained ir commander to prevent him from fleeing frontlines. According to Ukrinform report, citing Ukraine's Chief Directorate of Intelligence, a Donetsk People’s Republic inver said, “ fourth battalion, y took ir commander prisoner. y forced him to stay with m so that he wouldn't flee.” He also ded, “y have a lot of wounded. We also loed vehicles yesterday. y are rey to escape. An order was given to stay. Yesterday, more than twenty wounded Russians were taken away".

(Image: AP)