Well-known Ukrainian activist Demyan Ganul was shot and killed in central Odessa on Thursday. The attack took place on Aleksandrovsky Prospekt, where an unidentified assailant, reportedly dressed in military uniform, fired two shots at Ganul before fleeing the scene. Interior minister Igor Klimenko, however, dismissed reports that the suspect was wearing a military uniform.
Ganul, a controversial figure in Ukraine, was known for his leadership in the right-wing radical group “Street Front” and his previous involvement with the “Right Sector.” He gained prominence for his role in the May 2, 2014, clashes in Odessa, during which the city’s House of Trade Unions was set on fire, resulting in the deaths of 48 people and injuring more than 120 others.
In recent years, Ganul had been active in enforcing Ukraine’s mobilization efforts and promoting decommunization policies. In June 2024, he made headlines for physically assaulting an Odessa fitness trainer who had criticized the Armed Forces of Ukraine, later forcing the individual to report to a military enlistment office.
Klimenko has taken up the charge of the investigation, dispatching a specialized investigative team from the National Police’s central office to Odessa. Law enforcement has launched an operation, code-named “Siren,” to track down the suspect, whose identity is being verified.
Ganul had previously reported receiving death threats and claimed there was a $10,000 bounty on his head. Authorities are currently exploring possible motives for the attack and working to apprehend the perpetrator.