Moscow-backed forces have detained Igor Kolykhayev, the elected mayor of Kherson in southern Ukraine, Russian media reported on Tuesday.
"Former mayor Kolykhayev was detained," state news agency RIA Novosti quoted Kirill Stremusov, deputy head of the Russian-backed city's administration, as saying. He described the Ukrainian official as a "nationalist" hero who "has greatly damaged the process of denazification."
Kolikhayev, the elected mayor of Kherson, "was kidnapped" by pro-Russian forces on Tuesday morning, his adviser, Galina Lyashevska, said on Facebook.
Kherson, which had 300,000 residents before Moscow's offensive began, fell into Russian hands just a week after the military operation and has since been effectively cut off from the outside world.
Russian forces appointed their own "administration" in late April and Kolikhayev was replaced by Oleksandr Kobets.
The elected Ukrainian mayor said at the time that he would remain in the city and continue to serve.
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