Head of Odesa Regional Military Administration assesses introduction of military administration in the city

The creation of a city military administration (CMA) in Odesa will only benefit the city, said for text LIGA.net Oleh Kiper, head of the regional administration.

"The appointment of the CMA chief will improve the resolution of urgent issues, including strengthening defense," the official said.

At the same time, Valeriy Bolhan, editor-in-chief of Odesa-based media outlet Intent, noted LIGA.net that the former mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov has "one of the controlling packages" in the city council: "About a third of the deputies are from his party."

According to the journalist, it is almost impossible to bypass Trukhanov's team in the mayor's office: there are no other managers who understand what works in Odesa and how it works, and it will not be possible to quickly train them or bring them from other regions.

"Part of the team left Trukhanov, but there are still people who are very loyal to him personally. This is bad. They cannot be replaced quickly. They can sabotage the work," Bolhan said.

• On October 14, president Zelenskyy deprived Odesa mayor Trukhanov of his citizenship, and the SSU confirmed that the latter had Russian documents, including a foreign passport. With the termination of his Ukrainian citizenship, Trukhanov lost the position as mayor.
• The next day, the head of state created the Odesa CMA and appointed Serhiy Lysak as its head.
• Starting October 16, the secretary of Odesa City Council Ihor Koval will temporarily perform the duties of Odesa mayor.
• Read about how the new situation in Odesa is similar to the developments in Chernihiv and what consequences it has for the city in analysis by LIGA.net.