Israelis Held by Russian Troops in Ukraine Freed

Three Israelis detained by Russian troops in Ukraine have been freed, the head of the Ukrainian journalists union said Tuesday.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk had said on Monday that Mykhailo Kumok, his wife and daughter -- all Israeli nationals -- had been kidnapped by Russian soldiers in the southeastern city Melitopol, currently held by Russian forces.

"The family of Mykhailo Kumok were finally released by the occupants," Sergey Tomilenko said on his Facebook account.

Tomilenko had indicated they were freed several hours later on Monday after having been interrogated and their telephones confiscated.

Kumok was described as being the publisher of the local newspaper Melitopolskie Vedomosti.

Three of the newspaper's journalists were also briefly held on Monday and then released, Tomilenko said.

"The Ukrainian National Journalists Union condemns the intimidation and pressure being put on journalists and the residents of Melitopol, Berdyansk and Kherson," he wrote.

On March 11, Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov was abducted by Russian forces and released several days later.