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Exiled mayor: Ukrainian resistance blows up car with pro-Russian Chechen fighters near Melitopol

• 1 min read
Exiled mayor: Ukrainian resistance blows up car with pro-Russian Chechen fighters near Melitopol
The exiled mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, listens to a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament on April 20, 2022. (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)

The Ukrainian resistance allegedly blew up a car with Chechen fighters fighting on Russia's side near occupied Melitopol, said the city's exiled mayor, Ivan Fedorov, on Nov. 27.

Local residents reported gunfire near the village of Myrne, lying a few kilometers north of Melitopol in the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, during the last weekend, according to Fedorov.

A fight took place between Chechen fighters loyal to dictator Ramzan Kadyrov and Ukrainian partisans, the exiled mayor said. While the Chechens were waiting in their car for assistance, the vehicle reportedly blew up and burnt down.

The number of those killed in the attack has not yet been confirmed, Fedorov said.

Russian sources have not commented on the incident.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify the information.

Melitopol, a city with a pre-war population of about 150,000 people, has been occupied since March 2022. The Ukrainian resistance has been active here since then, reportedly detonating a car with Russian soldiers last month.

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Martin Fornusek

Assistant Editor

Martin Fornusek is an assistant editor at the Kyiv Independent. Until recently, Martin held the role of foreign affairs reporter specializing in international and regional politics, history, and disinformation. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, focusing on developments related to Ukraine and Russia. His career in journalism began in 2021 after graduating from Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, earning a Master's degree in Conflict and Democracy Studies. Martin has been invited to speak on Times Radio, France 24, Czech Television, and Radio Free Europe. He speaks English, Czech, and Ukrainian.

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