Ukrainian activist Demyan Hanul, 31, was fatally shot in central Odessa on March 14, according to the National Police of Ukraine. Authorities later detained a potential suspect identified as Serhiy Shalayev, a 46-year-old deserter and senior lieutenant.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported the arrest and confirmed the recovery of a Makarov PM pistol and an RGD-5 hand grenade. Additionally, a video was leaked online showing the interrogation of the suspect.
BREAKING: The suspect wanted for the killing of Ukrainian activist Demyan Hanul in Odesa has been arrested pic.twitter.com/Y7TOY249gp
— Oz Katerji (@OzKaterji) March 14, 2025
🚨 🇺🇦Odessa Murder Suspect Interrogated 🚨
The man accused of killing activist Demyan Hanul has been identified as a 46-year-old senior lieutenant deserter. During his arrest, police seized a pistol and a grenade.
🔹 His name is reportedly Serhiy Shalayev.
🔹 Investigators are… pic.twitter.com/m6kWwq1bx5— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) March 14, 2025
Police have classified the murder as a “contract killing,” suggesting a premeditated act. In July 2024, Hanul had publicly reported receiving threats, including claims that Russian sources had leaked his relatives’ personal information and placed a $10,000 bounty on his life. The killing was caught on video, which has since been reviewed by investigators.
Authorities are examining whether these threats are connected to his killing. Investigators are also probing possible links to Russian involvement, but no conclusive motive has yet been established.
Hanul was a prominent public figure, volunteer, and blogger known for his leadership in the NGO “Street Front.” He had participated in the EuroMaidan Revolution and the May 2, 2014, clashes against pro-Russian forces in Odessa.
Hanul was also a former leader of the Right Sector in Odessa from 2014 to 2016. The Right Sector is described as a ‘coalition of Ukrainian nationalist organizations that range from right-wing to far-right,’ according to Wikipedia.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the murder and called for an exhaustive investigation. “I have instructed the interior minister, the head of the Security Service, and the acting prosecutor general to throw all the necessary forces and means to establish all the facts,” Zelensky stated.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko announced he was personally overseeing the investigation. “An investigative team of the best officers has been formed with the central office of the National Police and has already left for Odesa,” Klymenko said.
Hanul had remained active in campaigns supporting Ukraine’s military, including efforts to dismantle Soviet monuments. His father, an ATO veteran and participant in the Maiden Revolution, had also served in Kyiv’s defense and later in Ukraine’s 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade.
