Longtime Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov has vowed to sue to get back his Ukrainian citizenship after it was stripped over intelligence agency claims that documents had emerged proving he has a Russian passport.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said in a press release on October 14 that Trukhanov's citizenship had been revoked after multiple documents emerged proving he was a Russian citizen. Dual nationality is prohibited under Ukrainian law.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that he had signed a decree revoking Trukhanov's citizenship, saying he intends to place the strategic port city of Odesa under military administration.
"I have not changed my mind about going to court. I did not have and do not have Russian citizenship. I have all the relevant documents, so we will fight," Trukhanov said on October 15.
"Today I remain the mayor of the city...Until this information is adopted by the deputies at a session, I will remain mayor of the city and fulfill my duties," he added.
The SBU's latest findings overturned an earlier investigation it conducted in 2016 that said Trukhanov's Russian citizenship could not be proven.
The move to revoke Trukhanov's Ukrainian citizenship followed Zelenskyy's meeting with security agency officials, during which he discussed the handling of alleged Russian influence networks in administrative positions.
Odesa: A Strategic Gateway To The Black Sea
Odesa is one of Ukraine’s biggest cities with a major seaport on the Black Sea. Russia has occupied large swaths of Ukraine’s coastline to the east of the city. Odesa -- especially its port infrastructure -- has been a frequent target of Russian air strikes.
Some Odesa residents launched a petition earlier to strip Trukhanov of his Ukrainian citizenship, claiming he was simultaneously a Russian passport holder as well as a Russian taxpayer, which violates Ukraine’s constitution -- something the SBU confirmed to be the case.
"There have long been rumors that Trukhanov has Russian citizenship. He spoke very negatively about Ukrainian nationalists in 2014, so I believe he has anti-Ukrainian views — it’s better just to remove him," one man from Odesa told RFE/RL. "The only question is what to do next. President Zelenskyy should then appoint someone, because elections can’t be held during the war."
Not all were convinced, however, with some residents saying Trukhanov was voted into office fairly and that, with war raging across the country to repel invading Russian troops, there are more pressing issues.
"I think this shouldn’t have been done, it’s just not the right time," a woman from Odesa said. "I think we should finish the war first and then deal with Trukhanov."
According to the SBU, Trukhanov was granted Russian citizenship in 2015 -- a year after the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia and the start of Russian-backed military action in Ukraine’s east.
The security service also noted that, although Trukhanov asked a court in the Moscow region to annul his internal Russian passport in 2017, the annulment of the document does not cancel his citizenship, according to Russian legislation.
Trukhanov questioned how new documents turned up after he had been vetted in 2018 by authorities when a district court confirmed "on the record" that he did not possess Russian citizenship.
