Energodar city mayor Dmytro Orlov has reported on social media about a protest rally against Russian invaders staged by city residents.

More than 1,500 people gathered in the central city square for a peaceful protest against occupation with the slogan ‘Energodar is Ukraine’.

Mayor Dmytro Orlov stresses that in the conditions of occupation, complete blockade of the city and kidnapping of officials, it is very difficult to provide communal, social and medical services, but now the local authorities are successfully coping with these challenges.

He claims that Russian occupiers have kidnapped deputy mayor Ivan Samoidiuk and promised protest rallies will continue until Samoidiuk is set free.

After the townspeople prevented detention of several protesters, Russians started shooting in the air.