The democratically elected mayor has been monitoring the non-free referendum from his temporary office at a factory in the city of Zaporizhzhya, in the free part of the county of the same name. He has stayed there since he was exchanged with Russian prisoners of war in March, after being held captive for six days, he says. He snorts when news asks him about the so-called referendum in his Russian-occupied hometown. – It means nothing. It is fake. It’s propaganda, and the Russians are experts at it, says Fedorov. RUSSIAN-OCCUPIED: In Melitopol, the Russian flag has flown since the city was occupied by Russian forces in February. Photo: private Soldiers in tow According to ongoing reports the mayor receives from inside Melitopol, only a little over 20 percent of the residents have voted in the unfree election. Election officials with soldiers in tow have gone from door to door, from shops and to office buildings, according to Fedorov. But more than half of the residents have left the city, and many show resistance by refusing to close up or hide elsewhere, he says. – Ukrainians are more united than ever. Therefore, the Russians have major problems in the occupied territories. They have occupied them physically, but the citizens do not support them and do not want to live in Russia either, says the mayor. MELITOPOL: Russian military vehicles are deployed in the streets of Melitopol. Photo: private Believes Putin will use all means Fedorov believes what is happening now, with so-called referendums in Russian-occupied areas, gives cause for concern. – This is a very dangerous time, he says. The mayor is convinced that the Russian president will use all means to retain power over the occupied territories. – He already knows now that he cannot win this war. Therefore, he may use nuclear weapons, says Fedorov. – So you think it can happen? – Yes I believe. It is possible. TV SPEECH: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in a TV speech last week that reservists will be mobilized. Many also perceived that he threatened nuclear weapons in his speech. Photo: AP In a speech last week, Vladimir Putin repeated the accusation that it is Russia that is under threat, and that the West is engaging in “nuclear blackmail”. – I would like to remind you that our country also has various means of destruction, said the president, and emphasized that “this is no hoax”. Several experts have interpreted Putin’s threats as a sign of desperation, and an attempt to scare Western countries from supporting Ukraine militarily and politically. – Heard that they used torture When Russia attacked Ukraine on 24 February this year, only two days passed before they occupied Melitopol in the south-east of the country. Ivan Fedorov refused to cooperate with the Russians, and on March 11 he was abducted and imprisoned. People in the city gathered at an administration building and demanded that the mayor be released, according to the Washington Post. Several media outlets, including news, published a video purporting to show Fedorov being taken away by Russian forces. UPDATED: Ivan Fedorov receives daily reports from the occupied city where he is mayor. Photo: Gunnar Bratthammer / news Fedorov tells news that he sat in for hour-long interrogations with the Russian intelligence service, FSB. – It was psychological torture. I heard how they used physical torture on other residents of the city in the rooms next door. I thought that they could come to me at any moment, so it was a very tough strain, says Fedorov. He believes he was abducted because the occupiers wanted to show other mayors what can happen if they do not cooperate. Released through prisoner exchange After six days in captivity, Fedorov was set free in exchange for nine Russian prisoners of war, he says. A number of international media reported on the prisoner exchange, including Sky News and Reuters. For the past six months, the mayor has been trying to get the West to understand what is at stake in Ukraine. GOT A MEDAL: Ivan Fedorov received an award from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj after his release from Russian captivity. Photo: presidential press office Fedorov was himself elected mayor of Melitopol in October 2020. Two out of three voted for him and his ideas to modernize the city and make it more Western. Less than 10 percent voted for those who now cooperate with the Russian forces. The mayor believes that the war in Ukraine is about far more than power over land. It is a war of values, according to Fedorov. – The battle is not primarily geographical. It is about whether we should choose democracy or dictatorship. That’s it.
ttn-69