Law enforcers are establishing the circumstances of the murder of a man in the centre of Odesa, police report.
A report that an unknown man had shot a passer-by in the city's Primorskyy district was received by the special line 102 at around 10:30 a.m. today.
The shooter fled the scene. The victim died. All the circumstances of the crime are currently being established by the investigative team of the territorial police unit and forensic experts.
According to volunteer and activist Serhiy Sternenko, the murdered person was civil society activist Demian Hanul.
Law enforcement officials believe that there are clues that will allow them to find the perpetrator.
"I was informed of the information that has been collected so far. There are specific clues. Police operatives and investigators are working to identify the shooter and detain him. Additionally, I would like to note that the information that the shooter was wearing a military uniform is NOT true. Please use only information from official sources," Interior Minister Klymenko commented on the crime.
Later, the police confirmed that the deceased was a 31-year-old civil society activist, but did not name him. The crime was classified as a contract killing.
Demian Hanul was a Ukrainian public figure, volunteer, blogger, animal and environmental activist, founder and head of the NGO Street Front, a participant in the Revolution of Dignity and the 2 May confrontation in Odesa against pro-Russian forces. Former head of the Right Sector power bloc in Odesa (2014-2016).