Yevhen Matveyev, the mayor of the city of Dniprorudne in Ukraine, is the second mayor believed to have been abducted by Russian forces in the past week.
Matveyev was taken from the southern town of Dniprorudne, according to BBC, leading to the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba making a statement calling Russia guilty of "terror" tactics."
Today, Russian war criminals abducted another democratically elected Ukrainian mayor, head of Dniprorudne Yevhen Matveyev. Getting zero local support, invaders turn to terror. I call on all states & international organizations to stop Russian terror against Ukraine and democracy. pic.twitter.com/jEPTBTLikY
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 13, 2022
Related: Mayor of Melitopol, Ukraine abducted by Russians
This latest abduction of a politician in Ukraine comes only days after the kidnapping of the mayor of Melitopol, Mayor Ivan Fedorov, who was taken by ten Russians in the city center on Friday.
Following the abduction of Fedorov, Russian occupiers installed a woman named Galina Danilchenko to be the new mayor of Melitopol. Danilchenko, a former member of the city council issued a recorded statement urging Ukraine to "adjust to the new reality."
VIDEO: A new interim Mayor “APPOINTED” in Melitopol.
— WAR IN UKRAINE 2022 (@WARUKRAINE2022) March 12, 2022
Galina Danilchenko, City Council deputy of the "Opposition Bloc", urged "to adjust to the new reality", not to destabilize the situation and not to participate in extremist activities.
The previous Mayor was detained. pic.twitter.com/syVz6cud9C
Danilchenko, who was installed as mayor of Melitopol without any sort of election, said her main task is to "take all necessary steps to get the city back to normal," and urged against attempts to "destabilize the situation" or "participate in extremist activities."
"I ask you to keep your wits about you and not to give in to these provocations," Danilchenko said in her televised statement. "I appeal to the deputies, elected by the people, on all levels. Since you were elected by the people, it is your duty to care about the well-being of your citizens."
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"I call on all states & international organizations to stop Russian terror against Ukraine and democracy," said foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba on Sunday.
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