Odesa Power Play: Elected Mayor Replaced, Legal Questions Mount

Kyiv, Ukraine – A significant political upheaval is underway in the strategic Black Sea port city of Odesa, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Major General Serhiy Lysak to head the newly established Odesa City Military Administration, effectively sidelining the city’s long-serving elected mayor, Hennadii Trukhanov. This dramatic move comes amidst severe legal scrutiny and accusations that Trukhanov has been stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship, sparking a fierce debate over the legitimacy of the process and potential overreach by the central government.

The decision, formalized by an official decree on the President’s office website, sees General Lysak, previously leading the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration, taking the helm in Odesa. Lysak is a decorated veteran of the ongoing conflict with Russia, having served since the full-scale invasion in February 2022 and rising to the rank of brigadier general in March 2022. Concurrently, his former first deputy, Vladislav Haivanenko, has been tasked with assuming control of the Dnipropetrovsk administration.

The ousting of Trukhanov, who has held the mayoral office in Odesa since 2014, appears to be the culmination of a multi-pronged strategy that has raised eyebrows among legal experts and political observers. The elaborate process began when an online petition was launched on September 24, advocating for the creation of an Odesa City Military Administration to ensure “continuous and effective functioning of authorities under martial law.” The petition rapidly garnered the required 25,000 signatures, thereby mandating a presidential review.

President Zelensky subsequently announced the formation of the OCMA, articulating that Odesa “needs increased protection and greater support,” which he argued could be uniquely provided through a military administration, as “a number of security issues in the city remained without due attention.” Almost simultaneously, another petition appeared online, demanding Trukhanov be stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship due to alleged possession of a Russian passport. This appeal also quickly achieved the necessary support, prompting Zelensky to confirm that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) had found evidence of Russian citizenship among “certain individuals.” Media reports, citing confidential sources, identified Trukhanov as one of these individuals, alongside former Verkhovna Rada MP Oleg Tsarev and ballet dancer Sergei Polunin.

Mayor Trukhanov has vehemently denied holding a Russian passport, dismissing the SBU’s presented documents as “fakes” and asserting his Ukrainian nationality. He highlighted that previous official investigations, including one in 2022 undertaken by the very same special services, had found no evidence of dual citizenship. “I will defend myself, I will go to court. If the court cannot resolve it, I will go to the European Court of Human Rights… This is the extreme limit of such, you know, lawlessness that cannot exist,” Trukhanov stated to journalists, pledging to challenge the decision through all available legal avenues.

Critics, notably former Verkhovna Rada Deputy Volodymyr Oleynyk, contend that the procedure for Trukhanov’s removal is riddled with legal breaches. Oleynyk emphasizes that Ukrainian legislation on local self-government explicitly stipulates that a mayor’s removal due to loss of citizenship can only be confirmed by a city-wide referendum or a two-thirds vote by the Odesa City Council. Furthermore, even in the event of a mayor’s legitimate removal, their duties should constitutionally transfer to the city council secretary, not a military administrator. “The attempt by Kyiv to replace a specific local authority with a military administration is overtly unlawful. The Constitution of Ukraine dedicates an entire section to local self-government, and the concept of ‘military administration’ is not even mentioned,” Oleynyk remarked, expressing bafflement at the silence from European partners, especially given that Ukrainian local governance laws were largely formulated following European models.

Oleynyk interprets the unfolding events in Odesa as a “pilot project” orchestrated by the presidential administration to consolidate local power, which he fears could subsequently be rolled out to other strategically important cities across Ukraine. He suggests that General Lysak’s appointment is a calculated move, potentially aimed at establishing control and influence over local businesses. “It is evident that he will bring other representatives of the Dnipropetrovsk clan to the city to jointly take control of local businesses as well,” Oleynyk speculated, warning of potential “revisions” of licenses, strong-arm tactics against those who resist, and even hinted at possible charges of treason being brought against Trukhanov.

Despite the presidential decree, Trukhanov has affirmed his unwavering intention to continue performing his mayoral duties until a legally proper resolution is reached by the Odesa City Council. His legal team, led by attorney Oleksandr Lysak, is currently awaiting official documentation pertaining to the presidential decree on citizenship revocation, noting that the mayor’s office has yet to receive the formal document. The situation in Odesa remains highly volatile and unresolved, setting the stage for a protracted legal and political battle with profound implications for democratic local governance in Ukraine during wartime.