The Prymorskyi district court of Odesa found a servicemember guilty of murdering a well-known Odesa activist and sentenced him to life in prison with confiscation of property, the Office of the Prosecutor General said.
"Prosecutors of the Odesa specialized defense prosecutor’s office of the southern region proved that the man committed the crime on the orders of a handler linked to Russian special services," the agency said in a Telegram post on Friday.
The prosecutor’s office recalled that on March 14, 2025, the servicemember shot a 31-year-old activist twice in the center of Odesa, then fired a point-blank finishing shot. The victim died on the scene. The statement does not name the individuals; the case concerns the murder of Odesa activist Demian Hanul.
According to the statement, prosecutors proved that in late 2024 a handler promised the servicemember employment in a law enforcement agency via messenger in exchange for completing a "test assignment" — the murder of a person unknown to him.
"Having agreed to the crime in exchange for the promised career advancement, the man went AWOL from his military unit and traveled to Odesa, where he rented apartments, illegally acquired a weapon and ammunition, and surveilled the victim for an extended period," the prosecutor’s office said.
After the murder, the servicemember contacted the handler, who claimed the "wrong person" had been eliminated and ordered him to hide in a rented apartment, buy a new mobile phone and await further instructions.
"In an attempt to conceal his connection to the organizer, the servicemember reset his phone to factory settings. Despite this, law enforcement officers promptly established his location and detained him that same day in one of the rented apartments," the agency stressed.
The Office of the Prosecutor General noted that the investigation into the organizer, who acted in the interests of Russian special services, is ongoing in a separate criminal proceeding.
The court also stripped the servicemember of his senior lieutenant rank.
Activist Demian Hanul was killed in Odesa on March 14, 2025. The accused, 46-year-old deserter Serhii Shalaiev, was charged with the crime.
