A Ukrainian journalist named Oleh Baturin, who was abducted and held captive by the Russian forces for over a week, has been released, according to media reports.
Reportedly, On March 12, Baturin received a call from an acquaintance at about 16:00, who asked him to meet at a nearby bus stand. Nearly half an hour later, Baturin went to the meeting leaving his phone and other documents at home.
The journalist had promised to return in 20 minutes but he did not come back. Locals said that Russian military were seen near the bus stands around 16:50 in the evening which led to speculation that Baturin was abducted by them.
Another journalist who goes by the name Iryna Staroselets had claimed to have been receiving threats from the Russians, who give her name "and explain what they'll do to me," according to khpg.org.
Moreover, the media outlet reported that there is no information regarding the whereabouts of Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov since 11 March. Fedorov was abducted with a plastic bag over his head by Russians soldiers after he refused to co-operate with the invaders.
Who is Oleh Baturin?
Oleh Baturin is a journalist from Russian-occupied Kakhovka, Kherson Oblast who was kidnapped by the Russians amid Ukraine invasion. According to The Kyiv Independent, Baturin went missing on March 12 and was held captive for 8-days by Russian soldiers.
"I've lost a lot of weight. I'm very dirty and tired. I was beaten, humiliated, threatened. They said they would kill me. 187 hours of captivity. They wanted to break me, to show what will happen to every journalist," according to Baturin who took to his sister's Facebook page to talk about the time he was under the captivity of the Russians.
Ukraine Rejects Russia's Demand to Surrender Mariupol
Reports suggests that Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has responded to Russia stating that "surrender is not an option" for Ukraine. However, Russia's Defense Ministry's letter states that it would only establish a humanitarian corridor if Mariupol surrenders, according to a tweet shared by The Kyiv Independent.
