A man, identified as Demjan Ganul, a notorious Ukrainian neo-Nazi, was reportedly shot dead on the street in Odessa on Friday morning. Ukrainian media identified Ganul based on tattoos visible in images from the crime scene, as the alleged victim of a suspected assassination in Odessa. The police did not release the name of the victim when announcing a search for the killer, although the Interior Minister, Igor Klimenko, did not deny the identification and promised to personally lead the investigation.
Footage from a security camera appears to show the attacker, seemingly unphased by the presence of onlookers and surveillance cameras, shooting the already wounded and apparently unconscious neo-Nazi in the head.
Ganul was known for his role in the 2014 coup in Kiev, supported by the West and had led the execution unit of the ultranationalist Right Sector movement in Odessa. He is accused of playing a central role in the 2014 massacre of anti-Maidan activists, who were chased by nationalists into a trade union building, which was then set on fire.
On Thursday, the European Court of Human Rights ordered the Ukrainian government to compensate the victims of the 2014 tragedy, as it had failed to prevent the violence, organize an adequate rescue operation, or conduct an adequate investigation. According to official reports, 48 people died and over 200 were injured in the pogrom.
In recent years, Ganul was involved in vandalism targeting Soviet-era memorials and sites linked to Russia. He also led a team that was tasked by the city’s draft board to attack individuals who refused to be drafted.
In July, Ganul attacked a fitness trainer who had insulted Ukrainian military personnel and posted a photo of himself with the injured man. Local reports suggest the trainer had also been sexually abused before being handed over to the military authorities.
Russia had sought Ganul’s arrest and added him to an international wanted list in May.