Ukrainian Prez says Russia abducted Melitopol mayor, seeks Germany, France's intervention

New Delhi: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday called on the leaders of France and Germany to help secure the release of the mayor of Melitopol who Ukraine claims have been abducted by Russians, reported AFP.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the leaders of France and Germany to help secure the release of the mayor of Melitopol who Kyiv says was abducted by invading Russian forces: AFP

(File pic) pic.twitter.com/BaJ7FCmyrp — ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2022

Zelenskyy, who spoke to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and France’s Emmanuel Macron administration, said the detention of Mariupol Mayor Ivan Fedorov was an attempt "to bring the city to its knees.

Meanwhile, Zelensky also called on Russian troops to heed the calls of residents in the occupied city of Melitopol who protested to demand their mayor be freed.

He said that Ukraine expects the leaders of the world to show how they can influence the liberation (of) a man who personifies Ukrainians who do not give up.

The Ukrainian leader also encouraged Ukrainians to keep fighting, saying it was impossible to say how many days we will still need to free our land, but it is possible to say that we will do it.

Meanwhile, Russia’s invasion on Ukraine’s soil that began on February 24, grew more ruthless as Moscow allegedly pounded the port city of Mariupol by shelling a mosque sheltering more than 80 people, including children, the Ukrainian government said Saturday.

Fighting also intensified on the outskirts of the capital, Kyiv, as Russia's expanding invasion bombarded cities into rubble.

There was no immediate word of casualties from the shelling of Mariupol's elegant, city-centre mosque.

The encircled city of 446,000 people has suffered some of the greatest misery from Russia's war in Ukraine, with unceasing barrages thwarting repeated attempts to bring in food and water, evacuate trapped civilians and bury all of the dead.

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