In Odesa, radical activist Hanul was shot dead

Radical activist Dmytro Hanul was killed in the center of Odesa on Aleksandrovskyi Avenue.

The news was first reported by local Odesa social media pages, and later officially confirmed by Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Ihor Klymenko.

Initially, media reports stated that the shooter was wearing a military uniform and fired twice with a short-barreled weapon. However, Klymenko later refuted the claim about the military uniform.

“Regarding the murder of citizen Hanul in Odesa: A special investigation team from the National Policehas been formed, consisting of top experts, and they have already been sent to Odesa. Additionally, a unit from the National Police Regiment has also been dispatched. I am taking personal control over the investigation and solving this crime,” Klymenko said in Parliament.

The identity of the victim was confirmed through a tattoo on his body.

Hanul was a well-known radical activist and a former member of Right Sector before later founding his own organization, Street Front.

He gained notoriety since 2014, when he was involved in the May 2 events in Odesa, where dozens of people died in the fire at the Trade Unions House. He later organized actions against Odesa residents who laid flowers in memory of the victims of the fire, even bringing barbecue grills to the site at Kulykove Pole to mock them.

Hanul was also known for his campaigns against “imperial” and Soviet monuments, including statues of Catherine the Great, Alexander Pushkin, and Soviet soldiers. Additionally, he was involved in disrupting concerts by Russian artists and harassing Odesa residents who supported the Russian language.

In recent months, he actively attacked those who criticized military mobilization.

One of the most controversial incidents involving Hanul happened this summer, when he assaulted a fitness trainer in Odesa after the trainer criticized the Territorial Recruitment Centers (TCC). Shortly afterward, the trainer disappeared and was reportedly forcibly sent to serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), where he was allegedly mistreated and possibly assaulted.

Despite his militant activism, Hanul never fought in the military himself, instead engaging in volunteer work—often surrounded by controversy. In 2023, he was reportedly beaten up by soldiers from the “Foreign Legion” for allegedly raising money for a vehicle but failing to deliver it.