Kharkiv Region: Russians have once more abducted a village leader

IRYNA BALACHUK - MONDAY, 21 MARCH 2022, 14:59

Photo caption: Mykola Sikalenko.. PHOTO CYRKUNIVSKA-GROMADA.GOV.UA

Russian invaders have abducted Mykola Sikalenko, head of the village of Tsyrkuny, near Kharkiv.

Source: Oleh Sinehubov, head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, on Telegram

According to Sinehubov: "The Russian occupants are continuing their terror against the civilian population of Ukraine. Today they abducted Mykola Vasylovych Sikalenko, head of the village of Tsyrkuny."

Details: The village leader was abducted from his own home. According to witnesses, he was taken away towards the village of Lyptsi.

Sinehubov added that the regional authorities are currently working with law enforcement officials to clarify all the circumstances of the incident and are doing everything possible to find and return Sikalenko.

Background: 

This is not the first time the invading forces have resorted to abductions and pressure on civilians. A few days ago, Russians kidnapped Viktor Tereshchenko, head of the Velikoburluk municipality. They managed to free him from captivity.

On 20 March, the city council of Energodar said that the first deputy mayor, Ivan Samoydiuk, had been abducted.

On 18 March, it became known that Russian invaders had captured and tortured the secretary of the Novy Kakhovka city council, Dmytro Vasyliyev, and were holding him in a detention centre. On the same day, it was reported that Russian occupiers had captured Hromadske journalist Viktoriya Roshyna in temporarily occupied Berdyansk.

On 16 March, the Russians abducted the mayor of Skadovsk in the Kherson region. It was also reported that the invaders were holding the head of the village of Chulakivka hostage.

On 15 March, it was reported that Russian soldiers had abducted activist Vitaliy Shevchenko at a rally in Berdyansk.

On 11 March, Russian invaders abducted Ivan Fedorov, the city's mayor. He was released from Russian captivity on 16 March.