“They questioned me for a long time”testifies to franceinfo Ivan Fedorov, mayor of the Ukrainian city of Melitopol, in the south of the country, kidnapped on March 11 by the Russian army and held hostage for six days. “They weren’t prepared at all before arriving in Melitopol or Ukraine, they didn’t understand anything”, assures the elected 33-year-old, finally released in exchange for nine Russian prisoners. Arrived in France, Ivan Fedorov is received Friday, April 1 at the Elysée Palace before leaving Saturday for Ukraine to fight.
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During his captivity, Ivan Fedorov says he was interrogated, “mostly at night”especially “on the political situation in Melitopol, in the Zaporizhia region, on the situation in Ukraine, with which politicians I had been able to exchange and many other things”.
“They told me that they had kidnapped me because I had a so-called financial arrangement with a Ukrainian radical partyexplains the young mayor of Melitopol. Obviously it’s stupid, I never had this financial arrangement. I didn’t understand what was going on, what they could do with me and what they expected of me.” Ivan Fedorov says he was “cut off from all networks, from all information”during his captivity.
“I didn’t understand where my parents were, where my team was, what was the situation in Ukraine and in my city.”
Ivan Fedorov, Mayor of Melitopolat franceinfo
Before being kidnapped, Ivan Fedorov recounts having “worked under occupation for two weeks” in his city controlled by the Russian army. “Every day the Russian soldiers were a little more angry. Maybe they expected the Ukrainians to welcome them, says the mayor. MBut after a month of war, they found no one, no politician, no citizen to tell them: ‘Ok, the Russians, great’.”
“In Melitopol, citizens went to protest in the city centersays the Ukrainian mayor. The Russians were everywhere but our brave citizens were not afraid to take to the streets and tell them: ‘Soldiers, leave our town, we don’t need your help.'” After his stay in France, Ivan Fedorov leaves for Ukraine on Saturday. “I want to return to Melitopol as soon as possible”explains the chosen one.
“I want to liberate my city from the occupiers, I don’t want to leave my country. It’s impossible.”
Ivan Fedorov, Mayor of Melitopolat franceinfo
The mayor of Melitopol also assures that the Russian army does not respect its promises of a humanitarian corridor: “The Russians are lying. In Melitopol, we tried every day to set up a humanitarian corridor but they only gave us this possibility once, and they confiscated all the humanitarian aid from us. They don’t want anything to do good for civilians. That’s not their goal.”