Ukrainian Mayors Among Thousands Detained in Russian Custody

President Zelenskyy reports over 16,000 Ukrainian civilians held by Russia, including local leaders, with allegations of torture and human rights abuses.

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that at least six mayors and local officials are currently detained in Russian prisons.
• More than 16,000 Ukrainian civilians are reportedly being held by Russia, according to Ukraine's human rights commissioner, with numbers expected to rise as occupied territories are liberated.
• Zelenskyy highlighted the case of Dniprorudne Mayor Yevhen Matveyev, who was captured in 2022 and recently returned to Ukraine deceased after alleged torture during his 32-month imprisonment.
• The whereabouts of Ihor Kolykhaiev, former mayor of Russian-occupied Kherson, remain uncertain, with reports placing him in a Crimean prison.
• Ukraine continues to accuse Russian forces of widespread human rights violations throughout the ongoing invasion, which began in February 2022.

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