The Russian occupation forces began to put even more pressure on the civilians in Zaporizhia region after Russia attempted to annex it, they still hold more than 200 of 529 abducted people in captivity, Head of Zaporizhia Regional Military Administration Oleksandr Starukh has said.

"They began to put more pressure [on the local population in Zaporizhua region after the attempt to annex four regions of Ukraine]. We have 529 people abducted, more than 200 of them are still held in captivity in those [temporarily occupied] territories," he said at a press briefing at the Ukraine Media Center on Wednesday.

Starukh also noted that today ten times fewer people have the opportunity to leave the temporarily occupied territories for the territories controlled by Ukraine.

"Over the past day, a little bit more than 60 people [were able to leave]. Although last month, 1,500 people traveled daily from those territories where it is very difficult to live, because there is no gas, electricity is under question, and medical care is significantly limited, and in general, any socio-economic life is limited," he said.