In Zaporizhzhia, Russian military units kidnap around 500 people, hold over 200 hostage - Regional Military Administration

Oleksandr Starukha, the head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, told this live on air of the united TV marathon, "RBK-Ukraine" reports.

"People are kidnapped, almost 500 people already confirmed. Unfortunately, more than 200 people are still in prisons. And this is the situation in all our communities, directly in the occupied territories," said Starukh.

In addition, the official said that there is no communication with a significant part of the schools in the occupied territories.

"There are schools in the occupied territories that do not work, 40 schools out of almost 400, do not work at all, there is no communication with them. People who went to the territory controlled by Ukraine teach children online," added the head of the Regional Military Administration.

In the channel of social network system Telegram, Starukh noted that the Russians do not accept humanitarian aid into the occupied territories and try to force teachers to collaborate. There is also no electricity supply in the Berdyansk and Melitopol districts.

"Both in Melitopol and in Energodar, the occupiers do not accept the necessary cargo for civilians. Over the last day, only 1,413 people, including 330 children, were able to go to the free territory. Mostly from the Kherson and Vasyliv directions. Now the occupation authorities actively work on the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, take terrorist measures against civilians. There is no electricity supply in the Berdyansk and Melitopol districts. The occupiers are trying to force our teachers to cooperate. We have taken all possible measures to ensure the safety of our educators: we have created conditions for teachers who left the occupied territories so that they can work and so that children continue their studies with their teachers, even if they are abroad," Starukh wrote.

• Earlier, the mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, reported that all educational institutions of Melitopol had moved to Zaporizhzhia.