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Gennadiy Trukhanov

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In this name that follows East Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Leonidovich and the family name is Trukhanov.

Gennadiy Trukhanov
Геннадій Труханов
A bald, middle-aged man, Gennadiy Trukhanov, is photographed in 2022. He wears a somber expression and a T-shirt with Odesa's emblem on it.
Trukhanov in 2022
Mayor of Odesa
In office
27 May 2014 – 14 October 2025
Preceded byOleg Bryndak [uk] (Acting)
Succeeded bySerhiy Lysak[1] (as head of the Odesa city military administration[1])
Personal details
Born (1965-01-17) 17 January 1965 (age 61)
Odesa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
PartyTrust the Deeds [uk]

Gennadiy Leonidovich Trukhanov[a] (born 17 January 1965) is a Ukrainian former politician. He was the mayor of Odesa from 2014 until 2025, when President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy revoked his Ukrainian citizenship.

Early life and education

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Gennadiy Trukhanov was born on 17 January 1965 in Odesa, which was then in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, a part of the Soviet Union. In 1986, he graduated from the Frunze Artillery School [ru] in Odesa. After graduation, he was given the rank of lieutenant. He was an engineer who repaired and maintained automobile equipment.

From 1986 until 1992, he served in the North Caucasus Military District. He retired from Soviet Armed Forces in 1992 with the rank of captain.[2] From 1992 to 1993, Trukhanov served as the head of the security service at the small research and production enterprise "Minimax".[3] He then became director of the security company Kapitan & Co., a position he held till 1996.[4]

In 2001, he took on the role of advisor to the General Director for Security of the Enterprise with Foreign Investments LLC "Lukoil-Ukraine", where he worked until 2002.[5] The following year, he served as the assistant to the Security Representative of the President of Lukoil JSC in Ukraine.[6] From 2004 to 2007, Trukhanov was an advisor and assistant consultant in the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament). His career continued with a position as advisor to the Director for Relations with Government Authorities and the Public at the private enterprise "Ukrtranscontainer" from 2007 to 2008.[7][8] He then served as the Chief Specialist of the Regional Relations Division of the Department of Veterans Affairs of the State Committee of Ukraine for Veterans Affairs from 2008 to 2011.[7] From March to November 2012, he was the Deputy General Director for Customer Relations at Brooklyn-Kyiv LLC.[3]

From 2002 to 2006 he studied at the Kyiv National University of Internal Affairs, where he qualified as a lawyer,[7] and in 2008, he defended his PhD thesis at Odesa I. I. Mechnykov National University.[9][8] In 2013, he graduated from the Odesa Regional Institute of Public Administration of the National Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine.[9]

Political career

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In 2005, Gennadiy Trukhanov became a deputy of the Odesa City Council.[10] From 2006 to 2010, he also held the position of Chairman of the Permanent Deputy Commission of the Odesa City Council on Youth and Sports issues.[9] In 2010, he became the head of the deputy majority in the Odesa City Council.

On 12 December 2012, he was elected to the Ukrainian parliament as a representative of the Party of Regions.[11]

Mayor of Odesa

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Trukhanov in 2015

Trukhanov was elected as the mayor of Odesa three times, securing the position in 2014, 2015, and 2020.[12][13] Amid rising unrest in Ukraine in the aftermath of the 2014 Ukrainian revolution and the violent 2014 Odesa clashes, he was elected mayor of the city on 25 May 2014.[14] In the 2015 mayoral election of Odesa Trukhanov was reelected in the first round with 52.9% of the vote.[15]

In 2018, Trukhanov opened the Center for Integrated Social Services, where city residents can receive social services, certificates, or consultations.[16]

Trukhanov led the Ukrainian Muay Thai Boxing Federation.[9] In 2018, he initiated the creation of the High School Students' Parliament, representing the interests of students and implementing charitable, environmental, national-patriotic, intellectual, and creative projects.[17] That same year, he helped implement the Odesa School Basketball League project, involving 80 teams from 50 schools.[18]

Trukhanov supported the restoration of several architectural monuments, including the Potemkin Stairs, the Russov House, the Falz-Fein House, the Skarzhynsky income house and others.[19][20][21][22] Existing and new parks were also modernised and built, including the Istanbul Park—a joint project of Trukhanov and Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbas—and the Greek Park, supported by the Greek diaspora.[23][24]

For the July 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election, Trukhanov was given a top-ten spot in the party list of Opposition Bloc.[25] In the event, the party only won 3.23% of the vote, failing to get the 5% needed to gain seats in parliament.[26]

In the 2020 Odesa local election Trukhanov was again a candidate for mayor of Odesa (nominated by Trust Deeds).[27] Trukhanov defeated Mykola Skoryk of Opposition Platform – For Life in the second round of the mayoral election on 15 November 2020, 54.28% of the voters voted for him.[28]

After the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Trukhanov created a working group of historians with diverse perspectives on historical facts. The Odesa city government negotiated with the head of the UNESCO World Heritage Center, Lazare Eloundou Assomo, to form a working group including members of Italy's Ministry of Culture, researchers from the Polytechnic University of Turin, members of the UNESCO nomination committee, and Odesa historians, cultural experts, and architects. This collaboration led to the Historic Centre of Odesa receiving World Heritage status.[29][30][31]

In May 2025, Trukhanov, together with members of parliament, represented Ukraine at the Parliamentary Forum on Security in Madrid, discussing the challenges cities face during wartime.[32][33][34]

On 14 October 2025, Trukhanov was effectively removed from his post of mayor of Odesa after being stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship by a decree of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.[35][36][37] The following day President Zelenskyy created the Odesa city military administration to govern the city.[1] Appointed head of the Odesa military administration was Serhiy Lysak.[1]

Corruption and alleged criminal past

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In 2016, the leaked Panama Papers claimed that Trukhanov, according to the Italian State Police Deputy Commissioner, trained members of a Ukrainian criminal gang in "hand-to-hand combat and sniper shooting with high precision weapons".[38]

As part of an investigation, Trukhanov was detained upon his arrival in Ukraine, at Ukraine's Boryspil International Airport on 14 February 2018 suspected of embezzlement of property through abuse of power.[39] He was later released on bail. In July 2019, the Odesa District Court found Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov and other defendants not guilty.[40][41][42]

He has been named as part of a Ukrainian crime syndicate who laundered money through London by buying multi-million pound properties in the city.[43] In October 2022 he was charged in an ongoing corruption investigation concerning $18.5 million in municipal losses,[44] and on 4 May 2023 he was detained on charges of embezzling $2.5 million in city funds.[45] He was released the next day after paying $350,000 bail.[46]

Russian citizenship scandal

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In 2016, the leaked Panama Papers said that Trukhanov held Russian citizenship, despite Ukrainian law banning dual citizenship.[47] Trukhanov denied the allegation.[48] The Panama Papers also show that he has "a substantial business empire in Ukraine through companies registered in the British Virgin Islands", with a suburb of Moscow listed as his place of residence.[49] On 9 April 2016, Eduard Gurwits, ex-mayor of Odesa, affirmed that Trukhanov possesses three foreign passports: two Russian and one Greek.[50] Trukhanov in 2017, through a Russian court, annulled his Russian passport.[51]

A petition to revoke Trukhanov's Ukrainian citizenship was posted on Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy's website on 13 October 2025. It gained more than 28,000 signatures.[52][53] On 14 October, Trukhanov was stripped of Ukrainian citizenship through a decree signed by President Zelenskyy. A Russian foreign travel passport that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said belonged to Trukhanov was released.[53] Trukhanov said that these documents were falsified and denied involvement with Russia and vowed to take legal action against the Ukrainian government. The passport indicates it was issued in 2015, with an expiration date of 15 December 2025. Losing Ukrainian citizenship effectively removed Trukhanov from office as mayor of Odesa.[35][36][37] The following day, President Zelenskyy decreed that for the time being Odesa will be governed by the newly created Odesa city military administration.[1][54] The authenticity of the passport was doubted by the The Insider.[55] Its lead investigative journalist Christo Grozev called the passport "demonstrably fake" adding that it was likely to have originated from Russian active measures.[56][57]

Notes

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  1. ^ As transliterated from Russian: Геннадий Леонидович Труханов. Also known as Hennadii Leonidovych Trukhanov, Ukrainian: Геннадій Леонідович Труханов.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "New leader of Odesa appointed after former mayor dismissed". The Guardian. 15 October 2025. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
  2. ^ "Геннадій Леонідович Труханов – мер Одеси – біографія". Політаналіз (in Ukrainian). 16 April 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Труханов Геннадій Леонідович". omr.gov.ua. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Геннадій Труханов знову йде в мери Одеси: що відомо про кандидата". РБК-Украина (in Russian). Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Труханов Геннадій". parlament.ua. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Труханов Геннадій". LIGA (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  7. ^ a b c "Від охоронця до керівника Одеси: хто такий мер Труханов". BBC News Україна (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Труханов Геннадій Леонідович — Біографія, Балотування, Фракції, Політична Агітація | ПолітХаб". www.chesno.org (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d Летяк, Валентина (17 November 2020). "Голова федерації тайського боксу та екс-військовий: біографія Геннадія Труханова". fakty.com.ua. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Труханов Геннадій Леонідович". LB.ua. 24 April 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  11. ^ "Народний депутат України VII скликання Труханов Геннадій Леонідович". w1.c1.rada.gov.ua. Офіційний портал Верховної Ради України. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  12. ^ Жигайло, Андрій (17 November 2020). "Труханов втретє став мером Одеси". fakty.com.ua. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  13. ^ "Труханов офіційно став мером Одеси". BBC News Україна (in Ukrainian). 27 May 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  14. ^ "Odessa City Mayor". Official Site of Odessa. Odessa City Council. Archived from the original on 14 August 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  15. ^ "Incumbent Odesa Mayor Trukhanov declared winner in Sunday mayoral election". Interfax-Ukraine. 28 October 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  16. ^ "Прозорий офіс - це новий етап доступності влади - Геннадій Труханов". Gazeta.ua (in Ukrainian). 26 October 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  17. ^ Irina, Kovalchuk. "У місті створено Парламент старшокласників – ДОН ОМР" (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  18. ^ "Баскетбол. В Одессе торжественно открыли первый сезон школьной баскетбольной лиги". Агентство Одеса-Спорт. Новини одеського спорту (in Russian). 16 October 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  19. ^ "В Одессе после реставрации открыли Дом Руссова (видео)". 04868.com.ua - Сайт міста Чорноморська (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  20. ^ Труханов: Потьомкінські сходи не реконструювалися з 1933 року (in Ukrainian). 22 March 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2024 – via www.radiosvoboda.org.
  21. ^ "В Одесі планують відновити будинок Гоголя". Odesa City Official Website. 30 July 2020. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  22. ^ "Мер Одеси Геннадій Труханов: ми створюємо потужне політичне лобі інтересів українців у Парламенті". LB.ua. 27 May 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  23. ^ "Стамбульский парк открыт в Одессе". Ислам в Украине (in Russian). Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  24. ^ "Торжественное открытие Греческого парка: готова только арт-зона, а вторую очередь сдадут в 2019 году". dumskaya.net. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  25. ^ "Вибори Ради: у списку Опоблоку мери 5 міст". Українська правда (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  26. ^ "Новинський і ще 5 "опоблоківців" проходять у Раду, а Колесніков – ні". Українська правда (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  27. ^ (in Ukrainian) In Odesa, 2 Zelensky, 5 Filimonov and Saakashvili will compete for the mayor's seat, Ukrayinska Pravda (30 September 2020)
  28. ^ (in Ukrainian) Trukhanov officially won the mayoral election in Odesa, The Ukrainian Week (17 November 2020)
  29. ^ "Труханов звернувся до ЮНЕСКО з проханням розглянути питання виключення Росіі з організації". Коментарі Україна (in Ukrainian). 25 July 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  30. ^ "Історичний центр Одеси отримав статус пам'ятки ЮНЕСКО". LB.ua. 25 January 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  31. ^ "Одеса в ЮНЕСКО: як ми цього досягли і що буде далі". LB.ua. 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  32. ^ "El alcalde de Odesa pide a Trump un cambio de estrategia: "Ninguna lógica sirve con Putin"". Diario ABC (in Spanish). 22 May 2025. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  33. ^ "El alcalde de Odesa alerta Trump: "Ninguna lógica funciona con Putin"". ElNacional.cat (in Spanish). 22 May 2025. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  34. ^ "El alcalde de Odesa pide a Trump un cambio de estrategia: "Ninguna lógica sirve con Putin"". SWI swissinfo.ch (in Spanish). 22 May 2025. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  35. ^ a b "Zelensky revokes Ukrainian citizenship of Odessa mayor". nordot.app. DPA. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  36. ^ a b Orlova, Alisa. "Odesa Mayor Trukhanov Stripped of Ukrainian Citizenship, Vows to Sue Government". Kyivpost.com. BIZNESGRUPP TOV. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  37. ^ a b Dysa, Yuliia; Balmforth, Tom. "Zelenskiy strips Odesa mayor of Ukrainian citizenship". reuters.com. Reuters.
  38. ^ BBC News (23 April 2018). "Paradise Papers: Ukraine crime gang hid proceeds in luxury London flats". BBC News.
  39. ^ "Odesa Mayor Trukhanov freed against MP Golubov's guarantees". UNIAN. 15 February 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  40. ^ "Мера Одеси Геннадія Труханова арештували. У чому суть справи". BBC News Україна (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  41. ^ Кушнір, Михайло (5 May 2023). "Вийшов із СІЗО: за міського голову Одеси Труханова внесли заставу". suspilne.media. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  42. ^ "Міський голова Одеси Труханов вийшов із СІЗО – заставу вніс депутат його фракції". LB.ua. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  43. ^ "Paradise Papers: Ukraine crime gang hid proceeds in luxury London flats". BBC News. 24 April 2018.
  44. ^ "As Russia bombards Odesa, Soviet-friendly mayor rebrands as patriot". Kyiv Independent. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  45. ^ "Odesa Mayor detained over embezzlement charges". Kyiv Independent. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  46. ^ "Media: Odesa Mayor released on bail after 1-day detention". 5 May 2023.
  47. ^ "Hromadske TV: Secret business assets of Odesa mayor Trukhanov". Kyiv Post. 4 April 2016.
  48. ^ "Truhanov denies knowledge of citizenship". Ukrayinska Pravda (in Ukrainian). 4 April 2016.
  49. ^ Gnap, Dmytro (27 May 2016). "Odesa mayor hides construction business offshore". OCCRP.
  50. ^ "Ex-mayor of Odesa says Trukhanov has one Greek, two Russian passports". KyivPost. 9 April 2016.
  51. ^ "Trukhanov in 2017 annulled his Russian passport through the court". Ukrayinska Pravda (in Ukrainian). 14 February 2019.
  52. ^ "Citizenship terminated: Trukhanov received the Russian passport in 2015 - SBU". unn.ua. UNN. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  53. ^ a b Кошарна, Ольга. "Trukhanov stripped of citizenship: SSU releases copies of Odesa mayor's valid Russian documents. PHOTOS". censor.net. Censor.NET. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  54. ^ Лисогор, Ірина (15 October 2025). "Зеленський створив військову адміністрацію Одеси – нею керуватиме Сергій Лисак. Дніпропетровська ОВА отримала тимчасового в.о." [Zelensky established a military administration in Odesa, which will be headed by Serhiy Lysak. The Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration received a temporary acting head]. LB.ua. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
  55. ^ Znas, Iryna (15 October 2025). "Опублікована СБУ копія російського паспорта Труханова є сфальшованою — The Insider" [The copy of Trukhanov's Russian passport published by the SBU is forged — The Insider]. Zn.ua (in Ukrainian).
  56. ^ Shpak, Kateryna (15 October 2025). "Христо Грозєв вважає, що російський закордонний паспорт Труханова, який показала СБУ, є підробкою" [Christo Grozev believes that the Russian foreign passport of Trukhanov, which the SBU showed, is fake]. New Voice of Ukraine (in Ukrainian).
  57. ^ "'Demonstrably fake' Odesa's mayor had a Russian passport — but not the one published by the SBU, The Insider says". Meduza. 16 October 2025.
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