During the television marathon «Unified News», the host, citing sources in the authorities, reported that it was decided to revoke the Ukrainian citizenship of Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov, former MP from the Party of Regions Oleh Tsaryov, and ballet dancer Sergei Polunin. Confirmation was received about their possession of Russian citizenship.
Shortly before this, Volodymyr Zelensky announced on his Telegram channel that the SBU had identified «the presence of Russian citizenship in certain individuals — appropriate decisions have been prepared for them, the decree has been signed». The President of Ukraine also instructed to consider the issue of creating a military administration in Odesa.
Thus, Trukhanov automatically ceases to be the mayor of Odesa. Who will take his place is still unknown. According to media reports, the city may be headed by the city council secretary, representative of the «Servant of the People» party Ihor Koval.
Earlier, a petition appeared on the president's website demanding to revoke Trukhanov's Ukrainian citizenship. The author of the petition noted that open sources repeatedly reported on Trukhanov's possession of a Russian passport and tax number, which contradicts the Constitution of Ukraine. In addition, the petition claims that he «spreads the narratives of the aggressor state, creating a risk to national security». The petition gathered more than 25,000 signatures in less than a day. Additionally, a petition was created on the president's website to establish a military administration in Odesa, which also gathered more than 25,000 signatures.
Trukhanov himself stated that the issue of his possession of a Russian passport has been discussed in the media since 2014 — since then, he has constantly explained that he never had one.