In occupied Melitopol, Russian invaders kidnapped four employees of MV Holding, the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine has reported.

"Today, armed men came to the home of the journalists of MV-Holding – publisher Mykhailo Kumok, production editor Yevhenia Borian, journalists Yulia Olkhovska and Liubov Chaika – and took them in an unknown direction," the Union said on its Telegram channel.

Hanna Medvid, General Director of MV-Holding, in a commentary to the Union, confirmed that on Monday early in the morning at about 6 am, armed men first came to journalists Olkhovska and Chaika and seized the home server. Then they came to other employees of the holding.

"A week ago I was called in for a conversation and offered to support them. We met in the editorial office, which they entered without permission and made searches. They want us to be loyal and support them. I did not give consent and we went away," Medvid said.

Later, at about 11:00, it became known that the three journalists were released after talking about the need to cooperate with the invaders, while Kumok is in an unknown place.

"Mykhailo is the owner of the holding and a publisher, but he has completely retired from editorial affairs… I hope he will be free in a few hours," Medvid said.

"The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine expresses solidarity and support to Melitopol journalists who show a principled position and courage, rejecting cooperation with the occupiers. Pressure, searches, abductions are the arsenal of intimidation of journalists and activists, which the invaders promptly use in the temporarily occupied territories. NUJU reports about all the facts of war crimes of the Russian Federation against media workers to the European and International Federation of Journalists," the NUJU said.