On March 14, at around 10:30 in the morning, in one of most popular boulevards of the city centre of Odessa some passers attended the public killing of the Ukrainian activist Demyan Hanul.
The cameras captured the scene of a murderer who fired the final blow to the head of the man lying on the ground. The shooter fled the scene of the crime walking calmly. The police already have the facial features and height of the perpetrator. A manhunt immediately started in the city.
"All circumstances of the incident are currently being established by the investigative and operational group of the territorial police unit and criminalists. Details will be provided later," local police officials reported.
The information about the murder reached the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) during the government's question hour, Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said that he was taking personal control of the investigation into the murder of the Odessan activits.
He announced that the central office of the National Police of Ukraine an investigative team consisting of the its best officers and forensic experts, led by the Head of the National Police Ivan Vyhivskyi, has already left Kyiv for Odessa, together with a National Police regiment.
“I am taking personal control of the investigation and disclosure of this crime. Police officers and investigators are working to identify the shooter and detain him," said Klymenko.
He also shared the first information about the murder that was gathered, but denied the initial information that the shooter was wearing a military uniform.
The 31-year-old Demian Hanul was a well-known and controversial public figure in the maritime capital of Ukraine. A volunteer, blogger, nationalist activist. He was a participant in the Revolution of Dignity, founder of right-wing radical organization NGO Street Front, and the former head of the Pravo Sector's section in Odessa. He fiercely advocated the dismantling of Soviet and imperial monuments in the city. Among his activities there were aggressive flash mobs against restaurants and shops were the employees were heard speaking Russian with the customers, notwithstanding it is the most spoken language in the city.
In the summer of 2024, a Moscow court arrested Demyan Hanul in absentia on several charges. The Russians also leaked some information about his family and ads were published on various information resources calling for an attack on Hanul, promising a reward of $5,000 to $10,000 for doing so.
In July 22, 2024, he publicly stated “After the recent actions to protect the honor of the military of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, I have been receiving many threats, yesterday Russian channels leaked personal information about my relatives to the network. A whole psychological attack on my family has begun.”
Due to these threats, Hanul contacted the police. He asked the state for protection.
"Considering all the risks, today I sent relevant statements to the head of the SSU in the Odessa region, Viktor Dorovsky, and the head of the Main Police Department in the Odessa region, Ivan Zhuk. I ask you to immediately consider them and apply appropriate procedural measures."
He was famous for several car accidents, where he was regularly accused of violation of traffic rules. In addition, Demyan Hanul was involved in a scandal in another car. In the spring, law enforcement officers found 30 rounds of ammunition, an RGD-5 grenade, three fragmentation grenade launcher ammunition, and body armor. in the Cadillac Escalade, which he was driving. However, the case was hushed up.
In July 2020, unknown people fired on the car in which Hanul was driving on the highway. In early May 2023, unknown persons beat him in Odessa, and the police investigated a criminal case.
UPDATE 16:12
A man suspected of murdering an activist in Odessa has been arrested, announced the Minister of Internal Affairs, Ihor Klymenko.
"In the apartment where he was hiding, a weapon was found, which was likely used to commit the crime," he wrote on his Telegram channel.
Klymenko thanked everyone who contributed to identifying and arresting the suspected shooter.
"Details will follow later from the police," the minister added.
