Russia-Ukraine war: Second Mayor abducted in Ukraine from Dniprorudne city after Melitopol

Russia has kidnapped Yevhen Matveyev, Mayor of Dniprorudne in Vasylivka district, Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine, according to Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. On Sunday, Kuleba urged the international community to come to Ukraine's aid and put an end to the country's "horror." Russian invaders are not receiving local backing in Ukraine, therefore they are resorting to terror, according to the Ukrainian FM.

Kuleba tweeted, "Today, Russian war criminals abducted another democratically elected Ukrainian mayor, head of Dniprorudne Yevhen Matveyev. Getting zero local support, invaders turn to terror. I call on all states & international organizations to stop Russian terror against Ukraine and democracy."

The kidnapping of the mayor of Dniprorudne is the second instance. Earlier, Melitopol mayor Ivan Fedorov was captured on video being taken away from a government facility in the city by armed men. However, after some time, the Russian-backed regional prosecutor in Luhansk came forward to defend the mayor's detention, claiming that Fedorov had committed terrorism offences and was under investigation.

On its Facebook page, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry issued a harsh statement, calling the detention of Melitopol's mayor a "war crime." The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, on Facebook, described Fedorov's detention as a "abduction", adding that the Russian military has committed "gross violations of international law, including international humanitarian law, war crimes and crimes against humanity, as well as other human rights violations."

Russia-Ukraine war

According to the Foreign Ministry, the mayor's kidnapping is a war crime under the Geneva Convention and its Additional Protocols, which prohibit the kidnapping of civilian hostages like Fedorov. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to discuss the conflict in Ukraine and to ask for his assistance in releasing the mayor of Melitopol.

After the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics requested assistance in 'defending themselves,' Russia initiated a military intervention in Ukraine on February 24. The special operation is only targeting Ukrainian military facilities, according to the Russian Defence Ministry, and the civilian population is not at risk. The West, on the other hand, dismisses the Russians' assertions, and has retaliated by imposing broad sanctions on Moscow. They also imposed sanctions on Belarus for its assistance for Russia's involvement in Ukraine.

Image: AP, Twitter/@DmytroKuleba