Ivan Fedorov (politician)

Ivan Serhiiovych Fedorov[lower-alpha 2] (born 29 August 1988) is a Ukrainian politician who was elected the mayor of Melitopol in 2020. He was previously the first deputy head of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Council and a member of the Melitopol City Council.

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming conventions, the patronymic is Serhiiovych and the family name is Fedorov.

Ivan Fedorov
Іван Федоров
Fedorov in 2022.
Mayor of Melitopol
Assumed office
3 November 2020
Disputed with Halyna Danylchenko[lower-alpha 1]
since 12 March 2022
Preceded bySerhii Minko
Personal details
Born (1988-08-29) 29 August 1988
Melitopol, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
(now Ukraine)
Political partyTeam Serhii Minko[3]

Career

Fedorov was elected to 6th convocation of the Melitopol city council. In 2015, he was elected first deputy head of the 7th convocation of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Council.[4] In 2020, he succeeded Serhii Minko as the mayor of Melitopol.[4]

On 6 March 2022, Fedorov was awarded the Order for Courage III Class for significant personal contribution to the protection of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, courage and selfless actions shown during the organization of defense of settlements from Russian army during the Battle of Melitopol.[5]

On 11 March 2022, the deputy head of the office of the president Kyrylo Tymoshenko stated that Fedorov had been "arrested and abducted by the Russian military." Ukrainian officials reported that "A group of 10 occupiers kidnapped the mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov," Ukraine's parliament said on Twitter. "He refused to cooperate with the enemy". This was corroborated by Anton Herashchenko and videos released by CNN of Russian soldiers outside a city government building.[6]

Subsequent to the actions of the Russian military, the prosecutor general's office of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic opened a criminal case against Fedorov. Their investigators stated that he "provided financial and other assistance to the banned nationalist organization Right Sector in committing terrorist crimes against civilians in Donbas."[7] The following day, Saturday, 12 March, former city council member Halyna Danylchenko was installed by the Russian occupation forces with a claim of "acting mayor".[8]

On 12 March 2022, the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated that Fedorov was being tortured. Zelenskyy requested his release.[9] On 16 March, Fedorov was freed from captivity and thanked President Zelenskyy in a phone call posted online. Some Ukrainian officials claimed he was freed in a "special operation".[10][11][12] Zelenskyy's press aide Daria Zarivna however later claimed he was exchanged for nine Russian conscripts captured by Ukrainian forces;[13] it was later confirmed by The New Yorker that this prisoner exchange took place in Kamianske.[14]

On 16 April, Fedorov attended Easter services in St. Peter's Basilica, along with Maria Mezentseva, Olena Khomenko and Rustem Umerov, in front seats. Pope Francis stated "Christ is risen" in Ukrainian at the service.[15]

Personal life

Fedorov was born 29 August 1988.[7] In a 2019 declaration, he stated that he owned an apartment in Melitopol and a house and land in Zaporizhia.[4]

See also

Notes
  1. According to the Security Service of Ukraine, political power in Melitopol is de facto controlled by Yevhen Balytskyi, with Danylchenko serving as a puppet.[1][2]
  2. Ukrainian: Іван Сергійович Федоров

References
  1. "Що відомо про депутата Євгена Балицького, який співпрацює з окупантами" [What is known about the deputy Yevhen Balytskyi, who cooperates with the occupiers]. Zaporizhzhian Investigation Centre (in Ukrainian). 25 March 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  2. Lotareva, Anastasiya; Zakharov, Andrei (1 April 2022). "Экс-"регионал", бухгалтерша и горный инженер: кто стал новой властью на оккупированных украинских территориях" [Ex-regional, accountant and mining engineer: who became the new government in the occupied Ukrainian territories?]. BBC (in Russian).
  3. "Місцеві вибори 2020". Центральна виборча комісія України. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  4. "Вторгнення Росії в Україну: ситуація на Запоріжжі. День 16-й. Текстовий онлайн" [Russia's invasion of Ukraine: the situation in Zaporozhye. Day 16. Text online]. Суспільне | Новини (in Ukrainian). 3 November 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  5. "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №112/2022" [DECREE OF THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE №112 / 2022]. Офіційне інтернет-представництво Президента України (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  6. Folmar, Chloe (11 March 2022). "Mayor of Ukrainian city Melipotol detained by Russians". TheHill. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  7. "Заступник керівника ОП опублікував ВІДЕО викрадення міського голови Мелітополя" [The deputy head of the OP published a VIDEO of the abduction of the mayor of Melitopol]. Actual Today (in Russian). 11 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  8. "Russia installs 'new mayor' in Ukrainian city after allegedly kidnapping predecessor". www.timesofisrael.com. Times of Israel. 13 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  9. ""Гауляйтер в юбке": оккупанты назначили "врио мэра" Мелитополя". ФОКУС (in Russian). 12 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  10. "Melitopol mayor freed after kidnapping by Russian forces". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  11. "Captured Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov rescued by Ukrainian forces: Report". Washington Examiner. 16 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  12. Карловский, Денис. "Мэра Мелитополя освободили из плена русских". Украинская правда (in Russian). Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  13. "Ukraine swapped nine Russian soldiers to free detained mayor". Reuters. 16 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  14. Yaffa, Joshua (16 May 2022). "A Ukrainian City Under a Violent New Regime". The New Yorker. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  15. "Ukrainian politicians, including Melitopol mayor, attend Vatican Easter vigil". ABC News. 17 April 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
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