Mayor of Ukrainian city of Melitopol no longer in Russian custody

The mayor of the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol has been freed after he was seized by Russian forces five days ago, a Ukrainian official said Wednesday.

Ukrainian soldiers and firefighters search in a destroyed building after a bombing attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Ukrainian soldiers and firefighters search in a destroyed building after a bombing attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
AP Kyiv
1 min read Last Updated : Mar 17 2022 | 7:19 AM IST

The mayor of the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol has been freed after he was seized by Russian forces five days ago, a Ukrainian official said Wednesday.

Andriy Yermak, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's chief of staff, announced the news but did not release details about how the mayor became free.

Surveillance video last week showed the mayor of the occupied city being marched out of city hall apparently surrounded by Russian soldiers.

Prior to the start of the invasion, US President Joe Biden's administration had warned of Russian plans to detain and kill targeted people in Ukraine, with Zelenskyy himself likely top target.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Topics :Vladimir PutinVolodymyr ZelenskyRussia Ukraine ConflictRussiaUkraine

First Published: Mar 17 2022 | 7:19 AM IST

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