MPs and activists criticize Trukhanov's deprivation of citizenship

Following the President's decree to revoke the citizenship of Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov, local deputies and public figures are divided. Some criticize his work and criminal cases, while others fear the political nature of the decision.

Intent collected opinions of local deputies and public figures after Trukhanov's deprivation of citizenship

Following the publication of the Presidential Decree on the revocation of the citizenship of Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov, the city's deputies and public figures have assessed the decision. Their assessments vary sharply: from demands to bring the official to justice to fears that the case is political in nature and sets a dangerous precedent.

Petro Obukhov, a member of the Odesa City Council , criticized Trukhanov's work as mayor.

I did not like him as mayor - I had hundreds of questions for him. The city is in decline, and it seems that he is simply not interested in it. Much of what was done was the initiative of his subordinates, whom he did not actually interfere with," Obukhov said.

Obukhov recalled a number of criminal proceedings and trials against Trukhanov, which "did not move towards a verdict for years," and expressed the opinion that such a person should not be the head of the city. At the same time, the politician does not approve of the instrument used to remove the mayor:"This is more of a political decision than justice."

The head of the regional branch of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine , Anatoliy Boyko, believes that the decision to deprive Trukhanov of citizenship and subsequent removal from office has political overtones and may be related to plans to create a military administration in the city. According to him, similar structures already operate in Chernihiv and Sumy, and in Odesa, the topic of their introduction has been discussed since spring.

However, this whole situation has little to do with establishing any kind of justice, ensuring national security, or taking care of the interests of Odessans. This is a purely political decision, formalized by selective application of the current legislation," emphasized Boyko.

Olga Kvasnytska, a member of the Odesa City Council, said that after losing his citizenship, Hennadiy Trukhanov cannot remain the mayor of the city.

"A stateless mayor is no longer a mayor. The law directly states that only a citizen of Ukraine can be mayor, and after the loss of citizenship, his powers are terminated automatically - without additional decisions of the council or court," Kvasnytska emphasized.

Former head of the Odesa Regional State Administration Mikheil Saakashvili called President Zelensky's decision "historic." In his opinion, the authorities have thus put an end to the longstanding influence of the "Anhert-Trukhanov gang," which has been involved in crimes in the city since the 1990s. Saakashvili said that it was the agreements with Ihor Kolomoisky in 2014 that secured Trukhanov's position as mayor, and later two election victories thanks to the support of Moscow political technologists and funding from businessmen Anhert and Galanternyk.

He also emphasized that Trukhanov, along with his Russian partners, owns assets in the Odesa port, including the Euroterminal, and has more than 20 apartments and his own helicopter.

"This bandit has been robbing and destroying Odesa for 11 years. He also has a personal army under the guise of municipal security. As an Odesa resident, I want to say thank you, Mr. President. I also want to thank the civic activists who have been resisting Trukhanov all this time, risking their lives," Saakashvili said.

He called Trukhanov a "Russian separatist" who poses a danger to Odesa and the whole of Ukraine.

Yaroslava Vitko-Prysyazhnyuk, a deputy of the Odesa Regional Council, also expressed her opinion.

He has five criminal cases that have been dancing around for years. In addition, there are a lot of comments about the 10 drowned people and that this was the last straw. Okay, if so, then why was Russian citizenship the reason, and not criminal law on official negligence?" the MP said.

She warns that if the law is "stretched to suit personal dislike," someone else may become a victim tomorrow.

Social activist Zoya Kazanzhy openly ironized Trukhanov's prospects.

"Don't worry about him - Gennady Leonidovich is doing well. For twelve years, the city with all its resources has been his property - he has something to live for and something to sue for. His staff will remain," she emphasized.

Kazanzhi adds a pessimistic forecast of changes for ordinary Odessans. According to her, little will change in the life of an ordinary Odesa resident: there are no shelters, and in the 4th year of the war, they have to ask for money to replace windows or repair destroyed houses.

Political figures agree on one thing: the consequences of the deprivation of citizenship of one of the most influential Odesa politicians will be not only political and legal, but also domestic: the city must prepare for winter and logistical challenges while the change of leadership continues. Opinions are divided: some call for a rigorous cleansing of the authorities and bringing them to justice, while others are wary of the way this is done and see the risk of justice being replaced by politics.

The mayor of Odesa denies that he has Russian citizenship and considers the decision to revoke his Ukrainian passport to be political. He stated that he continues to act as mayor and intends to appeal to international institutions to confirm his status.

Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree appointing Serhiy Lysak, who currently heads the Dnipro regional military administration, as the head of the newly created Odesa city military administration.

Анна Бальчінос