The European Union condemned the action and said it was a “flagrant violation of international law”
Another mayor of a city in Ukraine was kidnapped by soldiers of the Russia in the south of the country this Sunday, 13, said the governor of the Zaporizhzhia region. This time the victim was Evgen Matveievfrom the city Dniprorudné. “Today, March 13, at 8:30 am, the army of the Russian Federation captured the mayor of the city of Dniprorudné,” the governor of the region where Dniprorudné is located wrote on Telegram. The conflict in Eastern Europe has intensified since last Saturday, with heavier bombing and Russian troops advancing 14 kilometers into the invaded country.
The first municipal chief captured by Vladimir Putin’s troops was Ivan Fedorov, leader of the city of Melitopol, two days ago. In an official statement last Saturday, 12, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded that Russia release the first kidnapped mayor. He also made calls to the heads of state of Israel, France and Germany, asking for help in the situation. French President Emanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz even called Putin, asking for an end to the war.
The kidnappings were condemned by the European Union (EU): “The EU strongly condemns the kidnapping of the mayors of Melitopol and Dniprorudné by the Russian armed forces. This is a new attack on Ukraine’s democratic institutions and an attempt to establish alternative government structures in a sovereign country.” European Council President Charles Michel also denounced the kidnappings and said they represent a “blatant violation of international law”.
