The court sentenced the suspect in the murder of activist Ganul to life in prison
The Primorsky District Court of Odessa found a serviceman from the Kyiv region guilty of the contract killing of a well-known public figure and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
The trial court fully upheld the prosecution’s position, imposing the most severe preventive measure on the hitman, including the confiscation of all his property and the revocation of his military rank.
The high-profile crime was committed on March 14, 2025, in the very heart of Odesa.
The victim of the attack was Demyan Hanul, a well-known patriot, volunteer, and founder of the organization “Street Front,” who actively opposed pro-Russian forces.
The attacker acted according to a carefully planned scenario, having prepared escape routes from the scene in advance.
To investigate this brazen attack, law enforcement officials immediately formed a special task force comprising investigators from the Main Investigative Directorate of the National Police of Ukraine and the Odesa Regional Police.
Thanks to the coordinated and swift actions of National Police and Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) officers, the perpetrator was apprehended just a few hours after the shooting.
“The suspect fired several shots at the victim, and after firing a ‘final’ shot to the head, he fled the scene of the crime. A special task force comprising investigators from the Main Investigative Directorate of the National Police of Ukraine and the Odesa Regional Police was immediately formed to investigate the crime,” the police reported.
During the pre-trial investigation, experts determined that the suspect had received a cash payment from unidentified individuals to kill the activist. To carry out his criminal plan, the man officially took his annual leave and traveled to Odesa.
The organizers of the operation provided him with funding, which was sufficient to rent a safe house.
“According to a prearranged plan, he took his annual leave, rented two apartments in Odesa, and illegally acquired firearms, ammunition, and hand grenades, which he stored in the temporary residences. Since he did not manage to complete the assignment before the end of his leave, he did not return to his military unit’s base on time,” the National Police of Ukraine stated.
Law enforcement officials gathered irrefutable evidence of the detainee’s guilt and charged him under three articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The court confirmed the classification of his actions under the articles on intentional contract killing, illegal handling of weapons, and failure to report for duty on time under martial law.
This was officially reported by the Main Directorate of the National Police of Ukraine.
Parubiy, Farion, Hanul: High-Profile Murders of Ukrainian Public Figures and Their Investigations
Video: An assassination attempt involving gunfire was carried out against an activist leader in the Odesa region
