Zelenskyy signs decrees stripping citizenship from figures with Russian passports
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed decrees stripping Ukrainian citizenship from individuals confirmed to hold Russian passports, with media reports indicating Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov, former MP Oleh Tsariov, and ballet dancer Sergei Polunin are targeted.
Zelenskyy made the statement following a security meeting, saying: "Confirmed was the fact that certain individuals hold Russian citizenship – relevant decisions regarding them have been prepared. I have signed the decree."
He did not specify the individuals involved, but a host on a national telethon, citing a government source, said the decrees concern Trukhanov, Tsariov, and Polunin.
Trukhanov, appearing on public broadcaster Suspilne, again denied holding Russian citizenship and called the decision to revoke his Ukrainian citizenship a "falsification." He expressed readiness to defend himself in court, adding, "If the court cannot resolve this, I will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights."
A petition on the president's website, calling for Trukhanov’s Ukrainian citizenship to be revoked due to his alleged Russian passport, gathered the required 25,000 signatures in under 24 hours.
Ukrainian journalists have repeatedly investigated claims of Trukhanov’s Russian citizenship. In 2016, Slidstvo.Info and hromadske published a report titled "Captain Under the Tricolor: Odesa Mayor Trukhanov — Russian Passport and Offshore."
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) later investigated the allegations but said it could not confirm whether Trukhanov holds a Russian passport.
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