Ukraine Mayor Held Captive By Russians Describes 'Constant' Mental Torture

A Ukrainian mayor is speaking out about the six days he spent in Russian captivity a few weeks after the start of the war in February.

Ivan Fedorov, Melitopol's mayor, was captured by Russian special services on March 11. He then spent six days in Russian captivity where he allegedly underwent various psychological torture methods before being exchanged for nine Russian POWs on March 16.

Throughout the course of the war, Newsweek has reported about torture chambers believed to be used by Russian forces to torment their Ukrainian prisoners.

The Hill reported that the United Nations received information that Ukrainian forces were torturing Russian captives as well.

Fedorov described his experience as one with "constant psychological pressure" in an exclusive interview with the Kyiv Post, an English-language newspaper in Ukraine.

After members of Russia's Federal Security Service infiltrated Fedorov's office and seized him, he said they placed a bag over his head and took him to a police detention center where he remained throughout his captivity.

Fedorov's hands were bound by plastic ties, and when he was interrogated, as many as 10 "heavily armed" military members stood around him. Guards were posted outside his cell continuously and refused to talk to him.

Other guards allegedly entered nearby cells and broke prisoners' limbs. Fedorov described hearing the prisoners' screams.

"You understand that, at any moment, they can come to your cell and do the same to you," he said.

During his captivity, Fedorov said his captors set forth conditions demanding he resign from his position, dismiss his deputies and appoint someone else. In return, they told him they would release him "immediately."

Fedorov said he agreed to all the conditions but remained in captivity.

"The most challenging thing was that I did not understand when I would be released, what the conditions of my release would be, and what I had to do to get out," he told the Kyiv Post.

"When there are between five and ten heavily armed military around you, and when they ask questions and say that if you don't answer, something bad will happen, you just don't know how it will all end," he added.

Eventually, his experience ended, although not without another challenge. Russia's first attempt to exchange the mayor failed after hours of driving to an undisclosed location. Two days later, the second attempt was successful.

"It was the first time an exchange had taken place, and the parties did not trust one other, so they tried to pressure each other to make the first step," Fedorov said.