President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on 14 October stripping Odesa Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov of Ukrainian citizenship after confirming he held a Russian passport, according to the news outlet NV and the President’s official Telegram channel.
Within hours, dozens of protesters gathered outside Odesa city hall after activists called for a 19:00 demonstration. Young Odesans were seen chanting patriotic slogans and calling Trukhanov a “devil”, celebrating the end of Trukhanov’s 11-year rule over Ukraine’s strategic Black Sea port, eyewitnesses report.
Zelenskyy announced that a military administration will be established in Odesa “in the near future,” bringing the port city under direct presidential control.
Passport allegations end what corruption charges couldn’t
The Russian passport allegation—circulating since 2014—finally accomplished what $25 million in corruption charges never could.
In September 2024, information from Russian databases allegedly showed that Trukhanov obtained a Russian bank card on 9 February 2022, two weeks before Russia’s full-scale invasion.
A petition demanding Trukhanov’s citizenship revocation gathered 25,000 signatures in mere hours.
Military administration means Kyiv’s control
A military administration gives Zelenskyy direct control over Odesa, similar to the arrangement in Chernihiv. The move uses the removal of a mayor with Russian ties as grounds for centralizing power over Ukraine’s most important Black Sea port.
Under normal circumstances, Odesa City Council Secretary Ihor Koval would automatically become acting mayor. But the military administration bypasses this, subordinating the city directly to the president.
“We confirmed the presence of Russian citizenship in certain individuals—appropriate decisions have been prepared regarding them. I signed the decree,” Zelenskyy stated after a meeting where Security Service chief Vasyl Maliuk reported on countering Russian agent networks and collaborators in frontline and border regions.
In his evening address, the President also said, “Odesa deserves greater protection and support. This can be done through military administration. Too many security issues in Odesa have been left unresolved for too long. All effective decisions will be made. I will appoint the head of the military administration in the near future.”