13 September 2026
(PHOTO: suspilne.media)
An administrative report was filed against the acting mayor of Odesa for disregarding the requirements of the language law during a city council session. The scandal erupted amid discussions on a moratorium on Russian-language cultural products.
This was reportedby Anna Nerush, a representative of the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language.
She described what happened at the Odesa City Council session on September 8.
<span><span><span><span><span><span>A large number of people came to the session hall to support the moratorium—Odessa residents who have been fighting for the Ukrainian language in Odessa for years, people for whom language matters. Among them were also relatives of those who gave their lives for Ukraine. So imagine how these people felt when the plenary session began with a speech in Russian—the very thing they’ve been fighting against. “Was I surprised by the filing of the complaint?” </span></span></span></span></span></span>Anna Nerush wrote on social media.
<span><span><span><span><span><span>She also commented on a post by the head of the “Trust the Deeds” faction, who stated that “one cannot question people’s patriotism based on the language they speak in everyday life.”</span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span><span><span><span><span><span>This situation is not about the language of “patriotism,” but about the city council’s conscious or unconscious disregard for the requirements of the law, which leads to various forms of manipulation. And yes—the protocol was drawn up against the acting mayor, who was presiding over the plenary session and was required to take the measures mandated by the language law,” </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>emphasized the representative of the Commissioner</span></span></span></span></span></span>for the Protection of the State Language.
Previously, Anna Nerush, a representative of the Language Ombudsman, filed six reports regarding the use of the Russian language during a session of the Budzhak Town Council in the Odesa region. The violations were committed by the head of the community, two officials, and three council members.
Юлія Калабайда