Odesa Mayor Trukhanov Faces Loss of Citizenship

Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov is set to be stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship. According to a report by Dumska, the presidential commission has already approved the decision, and the decree is awaiting President Volodymyr Zelensky’s signature. Once signed, the mayor’s powers will automatically cease—without a court ruling or intervention by the city council, as stipulated by Article 79 of Ukraine’s Law on Local Self-Government. The acting head of the city will become city council secretary Ihor Koval, a representative of the Servant of the People party.

Trukhanov himself disclosed the possible decision by the presidential commission the day before—on October 12—posting a video address on his social media pages. He accused the Ukrainian authorities of preparing “a large-scale political reprisal,” claiming that a provocation was being orchestrated at the highest level to strip him of his citizenship. According to the mayor, the commission meeting at the president’s office was scheduled for the following day, and the grounds were an allegation that he holds Russian citizenship—an accusation he has consistently denied since 2014.

“I wouldn’t have paid attention to it if I hadn’t learned that tomorrow they plan to consider revoking my Ukrainian citizenship over an allegedly Russian one,” he said. According to him, the “evidence” was a forged passport dated December 2015. “They say the passport was issued on December 15, 2015. But at that time I was physically in Odesa. Obtaining such a document in person would have been impossible—biometric procedures require one’s presence,” he noted.

Trukhanov stressed that he had already been repeatedly vetted by Ukrainian and international bodies, including the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), and cited a 2018 response from Russia’s Interior Ministry stating that “the individual in question is not listed in the records of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs as having acquired citizenship of the Russian Federation.” The mayor called on the president and the competent authorities to conduct a thorough legal review to “establish the truth.”

Meanwhile, Odesa is debating the potential consequences of the decision. “There are many unconfirmed rumours at the moment, so I will refrain from commenting. Let’s act strictly according to the law. For now, I serve as the secretary of the city council, and what happens next—we’ll see,” Koval told Dumska.

According to the outlet, Zelensky may go further and establish a city military administration in Odesa, reporting directly to Kyiv. In that case, its head would work alongside the city council, whose powers would remain intact despite political tensions. A similar arrangement is currently in place in Chernihiv. However, if the president decides to dissolve the city council itself, he would need approval from the Verkhovna Rada.

Former Odesa City Council secretary Oleksii Potapsky warns that the mayor’s removal could trigger an administrative crisis at a time when the city is under regular shelling and preparing for the heating season. “Like dominoes, various structures will start to collapse. People will leave their posts, as many have worked by building relationships with the current leadership. What happens next? Will the president go so far as to dissolve the city council? How can the heating season be launched in such circumstances? All the negative consequences will now be associated with Zelensky. He removed Trukhanov—now the city will be run by ‘the president’s man,’” Potapsky said.

Under Ukrainian law, the loss of citizenship entails immediate and irreversible consequences—including the forfeiture of the right to hold elected office. Should an official decision be issued, Trukhanov will be required to vacate his post as mayor, and City Council Secretary Ihor Koval will continue to serve as acting head.