A prominent anti-Russian activist was shot dead in the Ukrainian city of Odessa on Friday, with law enforcement authorities saying they could not rule out Russian involvement in the killing.
The 31-year-old victim was identified as Demian Hanul, a blogger who local media said took part in the 2014 Maidan revolution against Ukraine's then-pro-Russian president. He was also a former member of the far-right group "Right Sector," the media said.
"The incident has been classified as a premeditated murder committed on orders," the national police said on Telegram. The Security Service said a 46-year-old military deserter had been arrested as a suspect.
The possible motives for the crime are being investigated, she told the local Telegram, adding that this included his connection to Russia.
A video posted on Telegram shows the moment of the execution. It shows a large man holding a gun to the head of a man lying on a sidewalk, probably already dead, shooting and then walking away.
Russian state media has previously labeled Hanul a neo-Nazi responsible for an arson attack on the House of Trade Unions in Odessa in May 2014, a reference to deadly fighting between pro-Russian activists and supporters of Ukrainian unity at the time.
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 20 years in prison.
Several media outlets reported last July that Hanul had sought protection from Ukrainian police after receiving threats.
WARNING! Serious images!
Video of the murder of activist Ganula in Odesa.
— Ukraine Front Line (@EuromaidanPR) March 14, 2025
Reportedly Russian agents have murdered Ukrainian patriot Demian Hanul in Odesa today. A loving father and a patriot, Hanul was one of those heroes who fought Russian terrorists in Odesa streets in May 2014 as Russians supported... pic.twitter.com/hYkLcutIZC