Russians kidnapped 30 mayors, 7 of them went missing – Kyiv Mayor

Vitaliy Klitschko, Mayor of Kyiv and Head of the Association of Cities of Ukraine, reported that the Russian occupiers have kidnapped 30 Ukrainian city mayors, and 7 out of them are considered missing.

Source: Klitschko in an interview for a German media outlet The Spiegel

Among other things, Klitschko was asked whether he was a target of Russian saboteurs.

Quote: "Of course I was. Mayors were targets everywhere [in Ukraine – ed.]. Russians tried to arrest mayors and used different methods to force them into collaboration.

Over 30 mayors who stayed in their hromadas [an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories – ed.] were kidnapped. Seven of them are still missing today."

Details: Klitschko also criticised the government. He complained that it did not provide local officials with a concrete response whether they must leave their city in case it is besieged or not.

Quote: "The situation was tough: if you stay with your people, then you are a traitor…We asked the government for instructions several times, whether we should stay or evacuate, but we never got a clear response."

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