The mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov, who was released from occupants' captivity yesterday, thanked the city’s residents and friends as well as the President of Ukraine.
He said in his first address after his release.
“I want to thank every Melitopol resident who, without being afraid of being taken prisoner, not being afraid of repression, not being afraid of interrogation, defended his position. Went to rallies and demonstrations, thus declaring that we are a free people, we are Ukrainians, we are Melitopol residents. It is our custom to defend our interests,” he said.
According to Fedorov, being in the information vacuum every day, in isolation, he felt that he was fought over.
He also thanked the friends of the city who did everything possible and impossible for his release and the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky for making the release possible so quickly.
Fedorov plans to talk about everything in detail soon as well as to talk about plans. “And I am absolutely sure that together with the team we will soon raise our Ukrainian flag over the central square of Melitopol. And those who removed it will definitely not live in our beautiful city. Glory to Ukraine!" He summed up.
As reported yesterday, as part of a special operation, Fedorov was released from occupants’ captivity, in which he remained for five days. President Zelensky spoke with the released Fedorov.
The Russian military abducted Fedorov at the crisis center, where he organized aid to the city's population. Russia used a group of 10 invaders to capture the mayor.
Fedorov is not the only mayor who was captured by the occupants after refusing to work with them.