At least six Ukrainian mayors and community heads remain in Russian captivity, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 5 during an address to the human rights community.
Zelensky confirmed that Yevhenii Matvieiev, the mayor of occupied Dniprorudne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, died in Russian captivity. Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Ivan Fedorov said that Matvieiev was tortured to death.
Matvieiev was captured in March 2022 while trying to assist residents of his community.
"They are among thousands of Ukrainians who are innocent but have been in captivity for years. And not only since 2022, but also since 2014," Zelensky said.
The president assured that Ukraine is doing everything possible to secure the release of its citizens. Over 19,500 Ukrainian children remain in Russian captivity, while only 3,767 have been freed.
Zelensky criticized the global response, noting the lack of significant action to stop Russia’s crimes and punish those responsible.
"There are still few voices in the world that speak about Ukrainian children abducted by Russia," Zelensky said, adding that discussions about "freezing" the war often ignore the fate of millions of Ukrainians and hundreds of thousands of children in occupied territories.
The president expressed regret over the fading international focus on Russian war crimes.
"Even the most large-scale Russian war crimes are gradually being forgotten by many in the world and in Europe, at the political level, among those who could act to fix everything," he emphasized.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, at least 177 Ukrainian prisoners have died in captivity, according to Victoria Tsymbaliuk of the Ukrainian Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
Kateryna Hodunova
(Updated: )
