Ukraine accuses Russia of abducting mayor of southern Ukrainian city

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday accused Russia of abducting the mayor of the southern Ukrainian city of Skadovsk and his deputy.

“Russian invaders continue to abduct democratically elected local leaders in Ukraine. Mayor of Skadovsk Oleksandr Yakovlyev and his deputy Yurii Palyukh abducted today. States & international organizations must demand Russia to immediately release all abducted Ukrainian officials!” he tweeted.

Ukrainian officials have previously accused Russia of abducting several other mayors, including Yevhen Matveyev of the southern city of Dniprorudne and Ivan Fedorov of the southern city of Melitopol. 

The development comes three weeks since Russia began its invasion into Ukraine.

Ukraine has also accused Russian forces of attacking several hospitals, a mosque and a Holocaust memorial site, and earlier this month Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a war crimes probe over the conflict.

Though members of the Biden administration have been careful over how to characterize the Russia-Ukraine conflict, one top U.S. official has already claimed that Russia has committed “war crimes.” 

A nonbinding resolution supporting a war crimes investigation into Russian President Vladimir Putin passed the Senate through a voice vote on Tuesday.

The resolution supports a war crimes probe, condemns the violence and supports other countries calling on the International Criminal Court to look into possible war crimes committed by Putin and Russian forces. 

The resolution, which had bipartisan support, has indicated how the Russian invasion has brought U.S. lawmakers together in what has become an increasingly partisan climate.