Anti-Russian activist shot dead in Odesa, Ukrainian authorities say
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 14, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 24, 2026

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 14, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 24, 2026

An anti-Russian activist was shot dead in Odesa, Ukraine. Authorities suspect premeditated murder and are investigating the case.
(Reuters) - An unknown gunman shot dead on Friday a prominent anti-Russian activist in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, Ukraine's law enforcement authorities said.
They did not name the 31-year-old victim but Ukrainian media said it was Demian Hanul, a blogger who took part in the 2014 Maidan revolution against Ukraine's then pro-Russian president and was once a member of the radical far-right Right Sector group.
"The incident is qualified as a premeditated murder committed by order," the national police said on the Telegram messaging app.
Also posted on the local Telegram channel was a video clip claiming to capture the moment of the shooting. It showed a burly man holding a gun to the head of a man lying on a pavement, possibly already dead, firing, and then walking away.
Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the clip.
Ukraine's interior minister said he had received "specific clues" to help track down the suspect and that the head of the national police was heading to Odesa to lead the investigation.
Russian state media has previously branded Hanul "a neo-Nazi responsible for the arson attack on the Trade Union House in Odessa", a reference to deadly fighting between pro-Russian activists and supporters of Ukrainian unity in May 2014.
A Moscow court charged Hanul in absentia in April 2024 with several crimes including damaging Soviet-era war monuments for which he would have faced up to 20 years in prison.
Several media outlets reported last July that Hanul had requested Ukrainian police protection after receiving threats.
(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Gareth Jones)
The article discusses the murder of an anti-Russian activist in Odesa, Ukraine, and the ongoing investigation.
The victim is believed to be Demian Hanul, a blogger and former member of the Right Sector group.
Ukrainian authorities are investigating the murder, considering it premeditated, and have specific clues to track the suspect.
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