Russia is facing new forms of resistance in its occupied cities in Ukraine, where attempts to kidnap and replace political leaders have met with a legal backlash and Public protest.
Ukrainian officials say Russian troops have detained mayors from at least two regions, replacing one with a pro-Kremlin opposition member. Lawmakers in the third Russian-occupied city say the foundation for a political coup is being laid.
Despite overcoming important Ukrainian military resistance To capture the territories, attempts to oust local leaders have created new difficulties for Moscow.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General begins treason investigation The city’s elected mayor Ivan Fedorov was arrested Friday by armed men, Galina Danilchenko, the newly installed mayor of Russian-occupied Melitopol in southeastern Ukraine.
The move follows a plea by city lawmakers on Sunday for a criminal investigation of Danilchenko, in which they said “High crime of treason for attempting to establish an occupation government in Melitopol.”
According to the website of the Zaporizhzhya Regional Administration, the city council accused Danilchenko – a former member of the city council – of dissolving the city government and transferring its powers to the Committee of People’s Deputies.
Danilchenko declared himself a local leader and immediately said in a televised address Sunday “Russian TV Channel” will begin broadcasting in the city that has been occupied by Russia since the first days of the invasion.
His ascension met with angry protests on Saturday, when several hundred people demonstrated outside City Hall with slogans of “Freedom for the Mayor” and “Fedorov”.
The Russian-backed regional prosecutor for Luhansk, a separatist-controlled region about 300 miles from Melitopol, claimed that the reason for Fedorov’s arrest was that he had committed terrorism crimes.
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