Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he had signed a decree “revoking the citizenship of several individuals.” Judging by the context, this likely refers to Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov.
“It has also been confirmed that some individuals hold Russian citizenship—appropriate decisions have been prepared for them. I’ve signed the decree,” the president said following a meeting with the head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
Hennadiy Trukhanov said he intends to challenge the president’s decision to revoke his citizenship, though he has not yet seen the decree itself.
“I will defend myself, I will go to court. If the court cannot resolve my case, I will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights,” he said.
Presidential adviser Serhii Leshchenko noted that the document is unlikely to be published. “One should not expect the president’s decree on Trukhanov to be made public, since citizenship decrees are not released due to the presence of personal data—neither those granting nor revoking citizenship. When Ihor Kolomoiskyi was stripped of citizenship, that decree was also not published,” Leshchenko wrote.
Trukhanov stressed that he has no intention of leaving either Odesa or Ukraine. He said the decision to revoke his citizenship was aimed at preventing him from running in future mayoral elections, where he believes he could win. He denied holding a Russian passport.
Meanwhile, a rally against Trukhanov is scheduled to take place in Odesa this evening.