Zelenskiy revokes the citizenship of the former mayor and names a new Odesa chief
Zelenskiy revoked the old mayor’s citizenship due to suspected Russian ties and nominated a new Odesa head.
The former governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Serhiy Lysak, has been named by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as the new leader of Odesa’s city government after Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov was fired.
The action was taken after Zelenskiy stripped Trukhanov of his Ukrainian citizenship due to claims that he had a Russian passport, which, according to Ukrainian law, immediately led to his ouster from office.
The new municipal military administration, which puts important cities under direct presidential control during times of conflict, will be headed by Lysak. Although these arrangements have proliferated since Russia’s invasion in 2022, detractors contend they compromise local democracy.
Since 2014, Trukhanov has been mayor. He has denied being a Russian citizen and promised to appeal the ruling in court. He has also been a strong opponent of Ukraine’s “de-Russification” movement, which started after Moscow annexed Crimea and has gotten worse as the war continues.
Lysak’s appointment essentially transfers control of the vital Black Sea port city to Kyiv at a pivotal stage in the conflict, while elections in Ukraine are still halted due to martial law.
