Zelenskyy speaks with Scholz, Macron, seeks help for release of Melitopol Mayor

Kyiv [Ukraine], March 12 (ANI): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the French President Emmanuel Macron and sought help for the release of the Mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov.
Earlier, Melitopol mayor was seen on video being led away from a government building in the city by armed men.
Taking to Twitter, Zelenskyy wrote, "I spoke with @OlafScholz, @EmmanuelMacron. We discussed countering the aggressor, RF crimes against civilians. I ask my partners to help in releasing the captive mayor of Melitopol. Prospects for peace talks were also discussed. We must stop the aggressor together."
On Saturday, Zelenskyy said that a total of 1,300 Ukrainian soldiers are killed by Russia. This is the first time President mentioned Ukraine's estimated military casualties, reported The Kyiv Independent.
Notably, Ukraine's Armed Forces estimate Russian casualties to be over 12,000.
Zelesnkyy, followed by the indications of Russian actions near the Ukrainian capital, said that in order to seize Kyiv, they will have to destroy the city.
"If there are hundreds of thousands of people, who are now being mobilized by Russia, and they come with hundreds or thousands of tanks, they will take Kyiv. We understand that," said Zelenskyy.
On February 24, Russia began a special military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics requested help in defending themselves.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger.
The West however denies these claims by the Russians and in response, Western nations have imposed comprehensive sanctions on Moscow. In addition, they introduced sanctions on Belarus for supporting Russia's operation in Ukraine. (ANI)