Feb. 12, 2025, 8:42 a.m.
Washington May Impose Sanctions on Odesa Mayor Trukhanov Amid Corruption Claims
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Photo: Intent/Natalia Dovbysh
Washington is considering imposing sanctions against Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov. The reason for this step is his possible ties to criminal groups, his alleged involvement in large-scale corruption schemes and dual citizenship.
This was reported by The Washington Mail.
According to the newspaper, Donald Trump' s administration is studying criminal cases involving Trukhanov, as well as a BBC investigation into his alleged collaboration with the mafia involved in drug and arms smuggling and illegal operations in the oil industry.
Another factor of concern for Washington is that Trukhanov has a Russian passport. This jeopardizes Ukraine's national security, as the mayor of a strategically important city may be under the influence of the Kremlin.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) have found that from 2016 to 2019, the mayor of Odesa led a corruption scheme that caused the city to lose hundreds of millions of hryvnias. As a result of these actions, city land was sold without tenders, and the money ended up in the pockets of structures close to Trukhanov.
The United States has repeatedly imposed sanctions on Ukrainian officials, including oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky in 2021. If the same measures are applied to Trukhanov, his assets may be frozen, he will be banned from entering the United States and lose access to international financial instruments.
The final decision on sanctions has not yet been made, but Washington is closely monitoring the situation and investigations in Ukraine.
Earlier, Odesa Mayor Trukhanov said that former head of the Odesa Regional State Administration Mikheil Saakashvili had instructed the NABU to open a case against him. According to Trukhanov, Saakashvili received a penthouse as a gift from the Kadorr developer.
