01 October 2025
(Serhiy Shalaev. PHOTOS: Suspilne.Odesa)
The Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa held the first preparatory hearing in the case of the murder of public figure Demian Hanul. The defense of the accused requested that the case be considered in camera. The court agreed.
According to Suspilne.Odesa, the Specialized Defense Prosecutor's Office of the Southern Region accuses 46-year-old soldier Serhiy Shalaev of murder. The victims in the case are the father of the murdered man , Vadym Hanul, and his wife, Zhanna Voznyuk. According to the woman, the accused deserves life in prison.
"He had no motives, he didn't even know the customers personally. It was a cold-blooded murder for hire," Zhanna Vozniuk said.
Demian Hanul, who was 31 years old, was a well-known public figure, blogger and leader of the Street Front organization. In 2014-2016, he was the head of the Right Sector's power unit in Odesa. Hanul took an active part in the Revolution of Dignity and the clashes on May 2, 2014, opposing pro-Russian forces.
The prosecutor's office requested the extension of the preventive measure in the form of detention without bail for Serhiy Shalaev. The court granted the motion, with no objections from the parties.
The defendant's defense requested that the case be considered in camera, arguing that Shalaev is a military man and that the witnesses would be active military personnel. The court agreed: the next hearing will be held on October 22 in a closed format.
The murder of the Odesa activist took place on March 14 in the Prymorsky district of Odesa. The man who shot Demian Hanul fled the scene. Within hours, police detained the suspect, 46-year-old Serhiy Shalaev, a former senior lieutenant. In the apartment where he was hiding, they found a weapon that was probably the instrument of the crime. The police opened a criminal investigation into the murder of the public figure. The incident was classified as a premeditated murder committed to order.
Investigators are considering three main versions of the crime: a contract killing organized by Russian special services, liquidation due to the activist's public activities, and personal animosity. However, the latter version, according to law enforcement officials, is unlikely, as the killer and the victim did not even know each other. The National Police is working on the investigation together with the SBU.
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