The mayor of Melitopol, Ukraine, has been abducted, officials say

The mayor of Melitopol, Ukraine, was abducted Friday by Russians, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, in what it calls "a war crime under the Geneva Conventions."

According to Ukraine's parliament, Mayor Ivan Fedorov was detained by approximately 10 people while in the city center.

"During Fedorov's abduction, they put a plastic bag on his head," the parliament said on its official Twitter account.

"Russian troops, who have been launching missile and bomb attacks on civilian facilities and infrastructure in Ukraine, including children's hospitals and schools, over the course of two week, are cynically accusing the mayor of 'terrorism,'" the ministry wrote on its verified Facebook page.

"The fact of the abduction of the mayor of Melitopol, along with hundreds of other facts of war crimes by Russian occupiers on the Ukrainian soil, are being carefully documented by law enforcement agencies. The perpetrators of this and other crimes will be brought to the strictest responsibility."

“the Ukrainian liberal democrats went guerilla from the get go.”

I am not a fan of Zelensky, but he did not have real alternatives.

The Russians destroyed most of his military storage depots from the air in the first couple of days. Any units that were not fully deployed could not deploy.

“Your response to my post, would seem to indicate that you approve of the Ukrainian defense strategy.”

I wouldn’t dream of approving or disapproving because it’s not my balls on line. It’s theirs. But given who they are fighting their strategy is probably not to win, but not to lose. I don’t think winning in the traditional sense of the other side surrendering is possible. But not losing, that’s another kettle of fish. (Think the US Revolutionary War.) The entire world has combined in ways I’d not have thought possible to put pressure on Putin. Well, actually on Russia but pressure on Russia is, indirectly, pressure on Putin and this is very much Putin’s war. Having said that, I have to say that the only reason Putin felt emboldened to undertake the war is because the leader of the free world is not robust or honest or in any way threatening so as to maintain deterrence. Wars, every war I can think of, began because one side could not maintain deterrence. The complete failure of the US president on every possible level has caused the US/NATO to lose deterrence. I think Ukraine’s strategy is to not lose, and to let the pressure on Putin build until Putin is forced to settle at the negotiating table, just as the British did for the Revolutionary war.

Several problems. Putin apparently believed his own propaganda that Ukraine wasn’t a country and that the Jewish leader of Ukraine was a Nazi. Nazi, apparently means to Russians what racist means to Americans…it’s just the nastiest word they can think of with no actual meaning beyond, say, poopoohead to a three year old. It’s a verbal expression of ultimate distain. So, getting Putin to admit he can’t win when he can up the ante to tactical nukes…well, that’s a gamble. And, whether Putin does that or not depends on a host of factors, mostly involving the people around him and what they do…or, don’t do. I think Putin’s last words may be, “A birthday cake, for me?! Awesome!” (In Russian, of course.)

Thanks Blather,

I don’t always agree with you, but I do respect your opinions.

Maybe I took it wrong, but I thought you were giving me “a dig” using a movie. You know, “shut up civilian” I’m the military expert.

I’m a private sector guy who isn’t impressed by movies, my day to day existence is in the manufacturing sector, a sector where you “produce or die.”

“Maybe I took it wrong, but I thought you were giving me “a dig” using a movie. You know, “shut up civilian” I’m the military expert.”

I try to never ever “dig” at anyone. It’s hard enough to communicate your (my) ideas without being purposely nasty in the mix. The moment you “dig” somebody you’ve lost any opportunity you may have had to bring them over to “your side.” As for using a movie as an example or explanation, I do it because movies (good movies, not the recent Star Wars) “show” rather than “tell.” And, that is infinitely more effective at getting across a point. As for disagreeing with me...good on you. I publish in order to test my thoughts and only if someone disagrees and says why do I learn anything new. That, after all, is my reason for being on FR. Well, that and my cat is tired of talking politics.

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