Russian forces seize Kakhovka City Council, appoint their 'mayor'

The city council's press service said this in a statement posted on Facebook.

"Today, on April 1, several dozen armed servicemen of the Russian Federation and some local residents entered the premises of the Kakhovka city executive committee. All employees of the city executive committee who were at work at the time were gathered in the meeting room and had their mobile phones seized. They were told that the city authorities, currently organizing all work in the community, are not coping with their tasks. The Russian military informed them that Pavlo Filipchuk will run the city from today," the statement reads.

In addition, Russian invaders appointed "their people" to lead the police. Employees of the city executive committee were asked to cooperate with the invaders, otherwise everyone will be dismissed.

The leadership of the Kakhovka city territorial community rejected the offer.

According to regional media outlets, Filipchuk recently lived in the Russian city of Sochi, but returned to Kakhovka a few days before Russia invaded Ukraine.

Upon his return, Filipchuk was handing out food from the Russians, and he was beaten up by unknown individuals for that. After this incident, Filipchuk was not in Kakhovka for a week, and then he returned with a new position.

Until 2020, Filipchuk served as a deputy of the regional council from the Opposition Bloc. He was chairman of the budget committee. He was a member of the team of regional council chairman Vladyslav Manher, who is suspected of his involvement in the murder of activist Kateryna Handziuk.