Ukraine: Skadovsk Mayor, Deputy Abducted
The mayor of Skadovsk, Oleksandr Yakovlyev, and his deputy, Yurii Palyukh, were allegedly kidnapped on Wednesday.
Skadovsk is a port city in the Kherson region of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, announced the abduction of Yakovlyvev and his deputy in a tweet Wednesday morning.
“Russian invaders continue to abduct democratically elected local leaders in Ukraine. Mayor of Skadovsk Oleksandr Yakovlyev and his deputy Yurii Palyukh abducted today,” Kuleba wrote.
Russia has claimed it is in control of the entire Kherson region now, after taking the city near the beginning of the invasion, Sky News reports.
The latest abduction was not the first since the war began.
The mayor of the southern town of Dniprorudne, Yevheniy Matvieyev, and the mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, are also said to have been kidnapped, according to Sky News.
Kuleba called on international organisations to demand the release of all kidnapped Ukrainian officials.
“States & international organisations must demand Russia to immediately release all abducted Ukrainian officials!” he wrote.
