Exclusive interview: Ukrainian mayor of Mykolaiv describes how he stays alive amid the war

Subscribe to The Telegraph with our special offer: just £1 for 3 months. Start your free trial now:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/customer/subscribe/digitalsub/3for1/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_pvid_conversion-subscription_editorial-iniative_03-22_EGW-13_organic_youtube

Colin Freeman, Foreign Correspondent for the Telegraph spoke with Mykolaiv's mayor, Oleksandr Syenkevych.

A former tech entrepreneur, Mr Syenkevych, 40, entered politics in the wake of Ukraine's Maidan revolution in 2014, which ousted a corrupt pro-Kremlin government. He sees himself as part of a new generation of younger politicians, ousting a Soviet-era old guard who tend to be closer to Russia.

"The Russians try to kidnap mayors to exchange for prisoners of war," he said during a coffee-stop interview at a downtown cafe. "They've even sent me text messages saying that if I want Mykolaiv to avoid the fate of Mariupol, I should surrender the city. They think we're totalitarian like them, that I can decide for every citizen."

Mr Syenkevych sleeps in a different house every night. He also packs a pistol, lest a Russian snatch squad come looking.

Get the latest headlines: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Telegraph.co.uk and YouTube.com/TelegraphTV are websites of The Telegraph, the UK's best-selling quality daily newspaper providing news and analysis on UK and world events, business, sport, lifestyle and culture.

Видео Exclusive interview: Ukrainian mayor of Mykolaiv describes how he stays alive amid the war канала The Telegraph