Criminal prosecution of Odesa mayors - transformation of local elites

Local elites in Ukrainian cities have traditionally been built around the figure of the mayor, a person who was not just an official but a center of gravity for politics, business, and administrative decisions. Therefore, criminal investigations against mayors not only destroy individual careers, but also change the structure of power at the local level. In the Odesa region, this is especially evident: each city has its own "case," and each case has its own influence on the elites. Let's analyze the most "vivid" and "fresh" cases.

Reni: there is a verdict, but no transformation

Reni was a unique case: Mayor Ihor Plekhov is the only mayor of Odesa Oblast to receive a HACC verdict while in office. He was convicted of taking a large-scale bribe and sentenced to nine years in prison, confiscation of property, and a ban on holding office.

However, the situation is not so simple: the verdict has not entered into force because the appeal is pending. The proceedings have been suspended due to the mayor's health condition, which allows him to maintain control over the authorities.

At this time, the real center of influence is the secretary of the city council, Oksana Yefymenko, a representative of the same political force, For the Future. Her connection with MP Urbanskyi only strengthens the vertical of influence of this group.

Conclusion: the punishment affected the individual, but the system did not change - in Reni, the power remained in the hands of the same clan.

Bolgrad: the mayor is under criminal investigation, but the government is strong

In Bolhrad, Mayor Serhiy Dimitriyev was sentenced in December 2023, but in 2025, an appeal overturned the sentence and closed the proceedings due to the expiration of the time limit. Formally, the mayor avoided responsibility, and the criminal case did not prevent him from maintaining control of the city.

The city council secretary, Vira Nikolayenko, is a longtime ally of the mayor and has been in office for two years. Together, they form a stable internal vertical that can withstand both the criminal process and information pressure.

Conclusion: In Bolgrad, the criminal prosecution did not lead to a reformatting of the elites. On the contrary, it demonstrated the stability of the old mayoral core.

Vilkovo: there was turbulence, but the mayor returned

In Vilkovo, Mayor Matviy Ivanov was twice elected as a self-nominated candidate. In 2024, a serious criminal investigation was opened against him: illegal mining, forgery, money laundering - the damage to the state is estimated at UAH 17.5 million.

In 2025, Ivanov was taken into custody, which activated the mechanism of temporary transfer of powers to the City Council Secretary Larysa Aranson, a member of the For the Future party. But the mayor soon posted bail and returned to office. This "swing" weakened his political control, but did not break it. As of the end of 2025, he is back in charge of the city.

Conclusion: In Vilkovo, the change of power looked likely, but ended in a rollback - for now, the system has returned to the old center.

Podilsk: the fall of the old elite without sentences

Podilsk is a rare example where the mayor was not convicted, but the system still changed. Longtime mayor Anatoly Ivanov resigned on his own after a series of media scandals, administrative protocols, and inspections. Formally, no criminal penalties were imposed. But in practice, it was a loss of control and a withdrawal from politics.

His place was taken by the secretary of the city council, Oleh Albanskyi (Servant of the People), around whom a new group of influence began to form, different from the old "Kotov" team of Ivanov.

Conclusion: Podilsk demonstrates a "quiet breakdown of the elites" - without sentences, but with the real end of the old mayor's era.

Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi: the most dramatic case

This city is the champion of Odesa region in terms of political turbulence.

Not a single mayor of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi has completed his term in office in the last 10 years. Since Alla Hinak 's resignation in 2019, the city has been living in a cycle of "mayor - crime - suspension - secretary."

Mayor Vitaliy Grazhdan (OPFL) became a defendant in a criminal case for organizing extortion during martial law. He was repeatedly suspended from office and taken into custody.

The city council secretary , Oleksandr Skalozub, also a former representative of the OPFL, took over the power and became the "new face of the old group" and retained administrative control.

Conclusion: in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, we see not a change of groups, but their internal reformatting - the toxic leader is removed, but the group continues to live.

Image generated by AI

The analysis of the cases shows that criminal proceedings against mayors are not just legal events, but:

1. the destruction of personalized verticals.

Mayors are no longer "untouchable". Any proceeding is a blow to the entire vertical, not just to the official;

2. acceleration of personnel rotations.

Where a mayor leaves the political game, either voluntarily or forcibly, new actors immediately emerge. Often, they are those who were previously in the shadows;

3. strengthening the role of the state.

In places with high political turbulence, the central government and law enforcement agencies actually stabilize the political process (an example is Odesa)

4. new standards of responsibility.

Communities are gradually ceasing to accept "traditional corruption" as the norm. Reputational risks for mayors have become much higher than five years ago;

5. test of institutional sustainability.

Where the system works without the mayor, the community is strong, and where the entire government "falls" with the mayor, the elites are immature.

Олександр Заболотний

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