Odesa, Ukraine – March 14, 2025 – Demyan Ganul, a controversial Ukrainian activist and nationalist figure implicated in the deadly 2014 Trade Union House arson, was fatally shot in the Primorsky district of Odesa this morning, authorities confirmed. The incident, reported at approximately 10:30 AM local time, has prompted a swift response from law enforcement, who are now working to identify and apprehend the assailant responsible for the killing.
According to a statement from the Odesa Regional Police, an unknown individual shot a pedestrian in the city’s central Primorsky district before fleeing the scene. “The victim died,” the police reported, adding that “all the circumstances of the crime are currently being established by the investigative task force of the territorial police unit and forensic experts.” Measures to detain the shooter are ongoing, though no arrests have been made as of 6:00 AM MST (2:00 PM local time in Odesa) on March 14, 2025.
Ganul, a 31-year-old native of the Kirovograd region, was a polarizing figure in Ukraine, known for his radical nationalist activities and his role in the violent events of May 2, 2014, when 48 people perished in a fire at the Trade Union House in Odesa. As a member of the Right Sector—a far-right group banned in Russia—Ganul led the organization’s “power unit” in Odesa at the time and later founded his own group, the Street Front. Ukrainian media and public sources, including Kyiv Post and EADaily, have identified him as one of the key participants in the arson that killed dozens during clashes between pro-Ukrainian and pro-Russian groups, an event that remains a deeply divisive moment in Ukraine’s recent history (Kyiv Post, March 14, 2025; EADaily, March 14, 2025).
In recent years, Ganul’s activism took a controversial turn as he targeted individuals opposed to Ukraine’s mobilization efforts and decommunization policies. Reports from Pravda EN indicate that he was involved in physical altercations, including a June 2024 incident where he assaulted an Odesa fitness trainer who criticized the Ukrainian Armed Forces, subsequently forcing the man to a military enlistment office (Pravda EN, March 14, 2025). Ganul also gained notoriety for vandalizing Soviet-era monuments, such as the Wings of Victory stele in Odesa, actions that further cemented his reputation as a hardline nationalist (english.pravda.ru, March 14, 2025).
The Ukrainian Interior Ministry has taken the investigation into Ganul’s death seriously, with Minister Ihor Klymenko announcing that he is personally overseeing the case. “The central office of the National Police has formed an investigative task force of the best workers who have already left for Odesa,” Klymenko stated on Telegram, as reported by EADaily. The head of the National Police, Ivan Vyhovsky, has also traveled to the city to lead the effort (EADaily, March 14, 2025). While early rumors suggested the shooter was a man in military uniform, Klymenko later clarified that this information was inaccurate, urging the public to rely on official updates (en.iz.ru, March 14, 2025).
Speculation about the motive behind Ganul’s killing has already begun to circulate. Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Honcharenko, who first reported the activist’s death on social media, suggested it could be linked to Ganul’s polarizing actions (english.nv.ua, March 14, 2025). Posts on X from users like @Alex_Oloyede2 claim that Odesa locals are hailing the shooter as a “hero,” citing Ganul’s alleged involvement in forced conscription, extortion, and the 2014 massacre as justification for the sentiment, though such claims remain unverified and reflect current online sentiment rather than established fact. Other sources, such as Shot Telegram cited by english.pravda.ru, posit that the killing might have been an act of revenge by a relative of a conscript targeted by Ganul’s activities (english.pravda.ru, March 14, 2025).
Ganul’s death comes amid heightened scrutiny of the 2014 Odesa clashes. Just yesterday, on March 13, 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that Ukrainian authorities had failed to adequately prevent or investigate the Trade Union House tragedy, ordering the state to pay €114,700 in compensation to survivors and victims’ families (en.wikipedia.org, updated March 13, 2025). The court highlighted police inaction and noted that some local officials allegedly involved had fled to Russia, complicating accountability efforts. 17GEN4.com
Comentários