Ukrainian Mayors and Community Heads Held in Russian Captivity
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on December 5 that at least six Ukrainian mayors and community heads are still being held by Russia. He made this statement during an address to the human rights community.
One of these leaders, Yevhenii Matvieiev, was killed in Russian captivity. The mayor of occupied Dniprorudne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast was captured in March 2022 while trying to help residents. According to the region’s governor, Ivan Fedorov, Matvieiev died after being tortured.
President Zelensky emphasized that many Ukrainians have been held captive for years, not just since 2022 but also since 2014. He assured that Ukraine is doing everything possible to secure their release. However, this effort has had limited success so far: over 19,500 Ukrainian children remain in Russian captivity, with only about 3,767 being freed.
President Zelensky expressed disappointment at the international community’s response to these crimes. He pointed out that there are still few voices speaking out against Russia’s abduction of Ukrainian children. Instead, some countries focus on “freezing” the war while ignoring the fate of millions of Ukrainians and hundreds of thousands of children in occupied territories.
Sadly, many Russian war crimes have been forgotten by the world, including Europe. Since the start of Russia’s invasion, at least 177 Ukrainian prisoners have died in captivity. Victoria Tsymbaliuk from the Ukrainian Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported this information.
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