• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Kidnapped Ukrainian Mayor Ivan Fedorov Rescued In Special Operation

Home> News

Updated 10:17 17 Mar 2022 GMTPublished 09:57 17 Mar 2022 GMT

Kidnapped Ukrainian Mayor Ivan Fedorov Rescued In Special Operation

Fedorov had previously called on his city to rise up and fight the Russian occupation, and was later awarded the Order for Courage

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

A Ukrainian mayor who was abducted by Russian forces has now been freed, the country’s government announced last night (Wednesday 16 March). You can watch CCTV footage showing the mayor being abducted below:


Ivan Fedorov, Mayor of Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, southeastern Ukraine, was released from Russian captivity after what has been described as a ‘special operation’. 

Advert

The Interfax news agency reports that, in order to secure the release, young prisoners of war were exchanged with Russia. 

An official told the agency: “Ivan Fedorov was released from Russian captivity… for him, Russia received nine captured soldiers who were born in 2002 and 2003. These are actually children.” 

A clip of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaking to 33-year-old Fedorov on the phone was later released. 

Zelenskyy told the mayor: “I am very happy that we got you back… very glad to hear your voice.” 

Ivan Fedorov in 2019.
Alamy

Advert

In Fedorov’s absence, Russia appointed a new mayor in his place - Halyna Danylchenko, a councilwoman from a pro-Russian party. 

She called on Melitopol’s 150,000 residents to ‘adapt to the new reality’. 

Fedorov had previously called on his city to rise up and fight the Russian occupation, later being awarded the Order for Courage by Zelenskyy in recognition of the ‘significant personal contribution to the protection of state sovereignty and territorial integrity’. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Alamy

After he was abducted on 11 March, the Ukrainian government issued a statement on Facebook condemning the capture as one of numerous ‘gross violations’ by the Russian military. 

Advert

“Russian troops, who have been launching missile and bomb attacks on civilian facilities and infrastructure in Ukraine, including children's hospitals and schools, over the course of two week, are cynically accusing the Mayor of ‘terrorism’,” the statement said. 

“The abduction of the Mayor of Melitopol is classified as a war crime under the Geneva Conventions and the Additional Protocol that prohibit the taking of civilian hostages during the war. 

“We call on the international community to respond immediately to the abduction of Ivan Fedorov and other civilians, and to increase pressure on Russia to end its barbaric war against the Ukrainian people.” 

It added: “The fact of the abduction of the Mayor of Melitopol, along with hundreds of other facts of war crimes by Russian occupiers on the Ukrainian soil, are being carefully documented by law enforcement agencies.

"The perpetrators of this and other crimes will be brought to the strictest responsibility.” 

Featured Image Credit: Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs

Topics: Ukraine, World News, No Article Matching

Jess Hardiman
Jess Hardiman

Jess is Entertainment Desk Lead at LADbible Group. She graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

X

@Jess_Hardiman

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

28 mins ago
an hour ago
2 hours ago
  • 28 mins ago

    Doctor issues warning about major mistake millions make while driving that is ‘slowing your brain down’

    Most cars have this button on the dashboard - but be mindful of how long you're using it for

    News
  • 28 mins ago

    Expert reveals disturbing reason why you should never tell your dark secrets to ChatGPT

    Perhaps a set of code using data it's mined from the internet archive isn't your BFF?

    News
  • an hour ago

    The dark happenings behind the scenes of ChatGPT that many people don't know about

    In 2023, OpenAI was subjected to controversy following a TIME magazine investigation into ChatGPT

    News
  • 2 hours ago

    Spanish government demand investigation into footballer Lamine Yamal's birthday party after 'dwarves exploited'

    The Barcelona footballer celebrated his 18th with a lavish party but was criticised for his antics

    News
  • Woman shackled in jungle clung to life for forty days without food before local shepherd rescued her
  • NASA Satellite Images Show Lights Out In Ukrainian Cities Since Invasion
  • Ryan Reynolds And Blake Lively Offer To Match $1 Million In Donations To Ukrainian Refugees
  • Trumpet Plays Ukrainian National Anthem On Streets Of Sumy As Fighting Continues