Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday (14/10) proceeded to revoke the citizenship of the mayor of Odesa, Ukraine’s third-largest city. According to Reuters, citing a source familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity, the Ukrainian president took this action because Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov holds Russian citizenship. It should be noted that Trukhanov, who has served as mayor of the city – which is Ukraine’s most important port – since 2014, had previously denied having Russian citizenship.
Proposal for military administration in the region
It is worth noting that Trukhanov’s citizenship revocation comes after Zelensky’s order to the head of the country’s armed forces to examine the possibility of establishing Military Administration in the city of Odesa.
On September 24, a citizen, Ivan Kazatsuk, submitted a petition to the president, requesting the creation of military administration in the city of Odesa “to ensure the uninterrupted and effective functioning of state authorities in the city of Odesa under martial law.”
Kazatsuk argued that the city has strategic importance as a “major transportation, shipping and logistics hub in southern Ukraine” and is located “in close proximity to combat zones and areas with increased threat levels.” He added that “the effective and uninterrupted functioning of state authorities in the city is a matter of national security and defense.”
The petition was supported by more than 25,000 Ukrainians, prompting an official response from Zelensky.
The Ukrainian president emphasized that decisions on establishing military administrations are made by him following the submission of requests from regional state administrations or military administration, and that so far no such request has been submitted regarding Odesa.
