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On Wednesday December 3, Ukraine accused Russia of having tortured to death the mayor of a town in the Zaporizhia oblast, partially annexed by Moscow in 2022. Described as a “true patriot”, he had “done everything to ensure the life of the community.
Ukraine accuses Russia of torture and murder of the mayor of Dniprorudne, Yevgen Matveyev, detained by Russian forces since 2022. His body was recently returned to Ukraine during a prisoner exchange, announced Wednesday 4 December Ivan Fedorov, governor of the Zaporizhia region, on Telegram.
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“Yevgen Matveyev was held captive by the occupiers for two years and eight months and tortured to death,” Fedorov said. The mayor is described as a “true patriot” who, despite the occupation, remained with his residents and “did everything to ensure the life of the community”.
14 local officials missing in Russian-occupied areas
In March 2022, Dmitro Kouleba, Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, urged the international community to intervene in the face of the disappearance of Mayor Yevgen Matveyev. At the same time, Charles Michel, then president of the European Council, also demanded his release. At the end of 2022, kyiv reported the disappearance of fourteen local officials in areas occupied by Russian forces.
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The locality of Dniprorudne, where Yevgen Matveyev exercised his mandate, is located in the Zaporizhia region, partially annexed by Moscow in 2022. With a population of around 17,700 inhabitants before the war, this area remains a scene of intense fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces.
