On Friday, March 11, reports came that Melitopol mayor Ivan Fedorov had been kidnapped, and that Russia had installed a new mayor. Barely a week later, Fedorov was released in exchange for nine Russian prisoners of war.
– It was six dangerous days, because I understood that for the Russians, my or other civilian lives were not worth anything, the mayor says according to Sky News.
He describes what he describes as “mental torture”, in hour-long interrogations.
– They came to me at night, five or seven soldiers, and talked for about four or five hours. The dialogue was fierce.
– No one could save us
– Very, very angry
The mayor of the southeastern Ukrainian city, believes that the Russians would set an “example of him”.
Fedorov has previously told of the lack of knowledge among the soldiers which held him captive.
– The soldiers thought they would be welcome in Ukraine, but they were not. And that’s why the Russians were very, very angry.
Shaken by Russian soldiers
– Unprepared and ignorant
Shortly after his release, Fedorov appeared in interviews with the French channels BFMTV and LCIwhere he spoke about his meeting with the Russian forces.
He described the soldiers as “unprepared and ignorant.”
– They were told that they were here to take Nazis. I replied that I had been here for 30 years and never met a Nazi, he said, and continued.
– Then they said that they were in the city to help the Russian-speaking inhabitants. I replied that 95 percent of us speak Russian, and we are fine.
