Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Brigadier General Serhiy Lysak of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) as head of the newly created military administration of the city of Odessa. The announcement appeared on the official website of the head of state.
Lysak's appointment means that the president is taking control of Odessa from long-time mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov, whom the president stripped of Ukrainian citizenship the day before.
Reasons for the president's decision
According to the BBC, Zelensky made this move for two main reasons. The first was the ineffective response of the Odessa authorities to the devastating flood disaster that claimed nine lives and exposed the weaknesses of the local administration. The second was the evidence of Truchanov's Russian citizenship, which had been discussed for years, but only now have the special services presented the president with certified documents.
With the establishment of a military administration, Zelensky gained the legal right to appoint a city leader even without elections, which will enable him to stabilize the situation in this strategically important area for the duration of the state of emergency, reported the portal Ukrajinska pravda. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Odessa regional administration are to ensure that all necessary steps are taken to establish it.
