Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday said that Mayor of Ukranian port city Skadovsk, Oleksandr Yakovlyev was abducted by the Russian troops, the third such incident of its kind this month.
Yakovlyev, the mayor of the city on the Black Sea in Kherson Oblast (province) of southern Ukraine, however, recorded a video address stating that the Russians had released him.
Along with the Mayor, his deputy Yurii Palyukh was also abducted.
Taking to Twitter, Kuleba wrote, "Russian invaders continue to abduct democratically elected local leaders in Ukraine. Mayor of Skadovsk Oleksandr Yakovlyev and his deputy Yurii Palyukh were abducted today. States and international organizations must demand Russia to immediately release all abducted Ukrainian officials!."
Condemning Russia for committing "mass war crimes" in Ukraine, Kuleba wrote, "Deputinization means getting rid of Russian influence in all spheres. Politics, international relations, economy, energy, business, art, research etc. Russia today is a toxic partner responsible for mass war crimes in Ukraine. The earlier the world cuts all ties, the better."
This abduction was the third incident of its kind as on March 11, the elected mayor of Ukraine's Melitopol city, Ivan Fedorov, was detained by Russian forces. Later, Russia abducted Yevhen Matveyev, Mayor of Dniprorudne in Vasylivka district, Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine.
Kuleba has called on the international community to come for support and stop the Russian 'terror'. Russian invaders are not getting the support of locals in Ukraine and thus they are resorting to instilling terror, said the Ukrainian FM.
Russia started a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 in response to calls from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics for protection against intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops.
The Russian Defence Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow has repeatedly said it has no plans to occupy Ukraine. Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia.
( With inputs from ANI )
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