Photo: activist Demyan Ganul (facebook.com/demianganul) Author: Maria Kucheryavets
In the center of Odessa, public figure Demyan Ganul was shot dead on March 14. The police detained a suspect in the murder, and a criminal case was opened.
Everything that is known about the murder of activist Demyan Ganul has been collected by RBC-Ukraine in an article.
Content
- What is known about the murder
- Klimenko took personal control of the investigation
- A criminal case has been opened
- Who is Demyan Ganul
16:21. Klimenko reported to Zelensky about the detention of the suspect
“The Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Igor Klimenko just reported on the detention in Odessa of a suspect in the murder of Demyan Ganul,” President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on his Telegram channel.
According to him, dozens of investigators, detectives, and forensic experts have been brought in to solve this crime. All the circumstances of its commission are being clarified.
“I have instructed the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the head of the SBU, and the acting Prosecutor General to use all necessary forces and means to establish all the facts,” the president added.
Updated 16:15. Suspect in Ganul's murder detained
“The man suspected of killing the activist has been detained. A weapon that was probably used to commit the crime was found in the apartment where he was hiding,” said Interior Minister Igor Klimenko.
Photo: The Ministry of Internal Affairs announced the arrest of a suspect in the murder of Ganul (t.me/Klymenko_MVS)
Updated 15:32. The Odessa Regional Prosecutor's Office reported that “an unidentified person fired several shots” at the activist.
The victim died on the spot from his injuries. Investigative and operational measures to solve the crime are currently ongoing. In particular, video recordings from surveillance cameras in the area of the murder and the attacker's routes are being analyzed.
The investigation is under the personal control of the leadership of the Odessa Regional Prosecutor's Office.
What is known about the murder
On Friday, March 14, at about 10:30 a.m., law enforcement officers received a report that a man had shot at a passerby in the Primorsky district of Odessa.
According to the local publication “Dumskaya”, this happened on Ukrainian Heroes Avenue (formerly Aleksandrovsky). There were two shots from a short-barreled weapon. The shooter fled the scene of the crime, and the victim died. The media write that law enforcement officers announced the “Sirena” interception plan to detain the suspect.
At first, law enforcement officials did not name the victim, but RBC-Ukraine sources said that they were talking about activist Demyan Ganul.
All the circumstances of the crime are currently being established by the investigative task force and forensic experts. The police are trying to detain the attacker. At first, information appeared on social networks that the suspect allegedly “surrendered”. However, the National Police denied this.
Photo: Activist Demyan Ganul shot dead in central Odessa, police searching for shooter (npu.gov.ua)
Klimenko took personal control of the investigation
During the government question hour in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klimenko confirmed that the case involved Ganul's murder . He said that he was taking personal control of the investigation and had sent an investigative task force of the best workers to Odessa.
According to him, an investigative task force and forensic experts from the Central Office of the National Police, headed by the Chairman of the National Police Ivan Vyhovsky, have left for Odessa to investigate the high-profile murder.
“I was briefed on the information that has been collected to date. There are specific leads . Police operatives and investigators are working to establish the identity of the shooter and detain him,” Klimenko later wrote on his Telegram channel.
The minister also denied information circulated on social networks that the shooter was allegedly “dressed in a military uniform.”
Photo: Police investigate murder of Odessa public figure (npu.gov.ua)
A criminal case has been opened
The Odessa regional police reported that they had opened a criminal case into the murder of an Odessa public figure. The incident was classified as a premeditated murder committed to order. The investigation is ongoing .
“Investigators, forensic experts, and detectives continue to work at the scene. Measures are being taken to detain the perpetrator. The information has been entered into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations under paragraph 11, part 2, article 115 (premeditated murder committed to order) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine,” the National Police statement reads.
The police also published a photo of the man involved in the premeditated murder.
Photo: Police show man suspected of killing Ganul (npu.gov.ua)
They reported that they were establishing the man's location and called on anyone with information about his whereabouts to call the following numbers: (380) 732555126; (380) 949498364 or the special line “102”.
Local Telegram channels also shared a video on social media of the moment of Ganul's murder. It shows a man shooting at the activist, who was already lying down. Cameras also recorded two more people who saw what was happening. The video can be viewed here.
Who is Demyan Ganul
Demyan Ganul was born on October 6, 1993. Graduated from the history department of the Odessa Ushynsky Pedagogical University. Ukrainian public figure, volunteer, blogger, animal and environmental activist, founder and head of the NGO “Street Front”, participant in the Revolution of Dignity and the confrontation in Odessa on May 2 against pro-Russian forces. He led the security bloc in the Odessa “Right Sector”.
Back in July 2024, Ganul appealed to government agencies for protection, filing statements with the SBU and the police. He stated that Russian resources had disseminated information about his relatives on social media, and that a reward of up to 10 thousand dollars was offered for an attack on him. The activist reported that he had received threats. In Russia, a court took him “into custody” in absentia under several articles of the Criminal Code.
Read more about Ganul’s biography in a separate article by RBC-Ukraine.
RBC-Ukraine (Styler project) also reported what is known about the family of the deceased activist.
In preparing the material, the following were used: information from sources RBC-Ukraine, the press service of the National Police of Odessa Oblast, statements by the Minister of Internal Affairs Igor Klimenko, the publication “Dumskaya”, Wikipedia and other data from open sources.
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