On 14 March, well-known Ukrainian activist Demian Hanul was shot dead in the center of Odesa. After committing the crime, a shooter quickly fled the scene, according to UNIAN.
Following the incident, a special investigative team, along with criminologists from the National Police’s Central Department, had been dispatched to Odesa to investigate this high-profile murder, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko announced.
Later, law enforcement confirmed the arrest of a suspect in the killing of the Odesa activist. The Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office verified the detention.
According to the Ukrainian prosecutors, the murder took place in the city center, where the assailant fired several shots at the prominent civil activist. Investigative and operational measures are still underway.
Minister Klymenko also confirmed the arrest, stating, “In Odesa, a man suspected of murdering the activist has been detained. A weapon, likely used in the crime, was found at the apartment where he was hiding.”
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also commented on the arrest, emphasizing that dozens of investigators, operatives, and criminologists are working to solve the crime.
Investigators are currently questioning the suspect, and decisions are being made regarding the formal charges and the selection of a preventive measure, including possible detention.
The Security Service of Ukraine revealed that the shooter is a 46-year-old deserter. Investigations are exploring potential motives, including the possibility of a contract killing and a possible Russian connection.
Earlier this year, four men were arrested in Odesa for the assassination of a Ukrainian entrepreneur who helped the country’s armed forces, ordered by Russian intelligence services, according to the Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
The volunteer was killed with a homemade explosive device, which detonated near his home.
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