The Ukrainian authorities on Monday accused the Russian military forces that invaded their territory 12 days ago of killing the mayor of the city of Gostomel, Yuri Prilipko, when he was participating in a delivery of humanitarian aid to those affected by the conflict.
The local council of Gostomel, a northern suburb of Kiev, said in a message posted on its Facebook account that Prilipko was killed along with two other people.
“No one forced him to stand under the bullets of the occupants. He was able, like thousands of others, to sit in a basement. Who would have blamed him?” said the agency, according to Europa Press.
“He made his choice. He died for the community. He died for Gostomel. He died a hero.” he stressed.
The town of Gostomel is located on the outskirts of the capital, Kiev, and has a major airfield that has been one of the epicenters of the fighting since the beginning of the Russian invasion.
On February 24, Russia launched a military offensive in Ukraine under the justification that the Kiev government had been committing crimes against the inhabitants of two Russian-speaking provinces. in the Donbass region which Moscow had previously recognized as independent states.
The Kremlin’s claim includes Ukraine’s violation of the 2014 and 2015 Minsk Peace Accords, that forced Kiev to give those two cities – Lugansk and Donetsk, which in separate referendums voted to separate from Ukraine – autonomy and the possibility of electing their own regional authorities.
Ukraine, on the other hand, affirms that with the military operation Russia intends to destroy Ukrainian culture and history, and overthrow President Volodomir Zelensky to promote a leader close to Moscow to come to power.
