Zelenskyy: Six Ukrainian mayors and heads of communities are in Russian captivity

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said that Russia is holding at least six Ukrainian mayors and heads of communities captive.

During the address to the human rights community, the head of state emphasized that many of these people, like thousands of other Ukrainians, have been in captivity for years.

«They are among thousands of Ukrainians who are not guilty of anything, but have been in captivity for years. And not only from 2022. But also since 2014. We are doing everything to get them back. 3,767 Ukrainian men and women have already been returned from captivity. We engage intermediaries for this. We are looking for various negotiation, political and legal opportunities,» the president said.

Zelenskyy mentioned that the other day it became known about the death of Yevhenii Matveiev, the mayor of Dniprorudne, who died in captivity, he was captured in March 2022.

He also emphasized that the world does not respond well to Russia's crimes against Ukrainian prisoners, abduction of children and destruction of Ukrainian territories.

«We all see, in particular, how little the world reacts to what is being done to Ukrainian prisoners in Russia. There are still few voices in the world who speak about the Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia. There is almost no reaction to what the Russian presence has turned our lands, our territories, which are temporarily occupied. When someone now talks about the «freezing» of the war, it is almost never heard: what will happen to millions of our people, what will happen to hundreds of thousands of children who are still in the occupied territory? And this is a very cynical silence,» he noted.

The President called for the creation of a special tribunal to condemn Russia's aggression.

«If Russia can do this with Ukrainians, then it will be perceived as permission to do the same with other nations and people. We are still forced to actually fight for the creation of a special tribunal against Russia for the crime of aggression,» the president said.

As reported, in October-November of this year, 54 Ukrainian prisoners of war were shot by the Russian military. Prosecutors recorded the facts of the crimes and opened criminal proceedings.