The suspect in the murder of Odesa activist Demyan Hanul, Serhiy Shalaev, admitted his guilt during the court session. About this reported Ruslan Veremchuk, Deputy Head of the Odesa Specialized Prosecutor’s Office in the Defense Sector of the Southern Region.
According to Veremchuk, the meeting was closed because during the announcement of the prosecutor’s motion, the names and surnames of the witnesses who testified were mentioned. In addition, details were announced, the disclosure of which could harm the further investigation. Veremchuk noted that the establishment of the circle of persons involved in the murder of Hanul is currently underway.
“The perpetrator of this crime has been arrested. One of the versions of the investigation is that it is a contract killing. Measures are being taken to identify the customer, as well as other accomplices of the crime.”, the prosecutor explained.
We will remind that on March 14, activist Demyan Hanul was shot dead in Odesa. Later, Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko announced the arrest of the alleged shooter. The Security Service of Ukraine noted that various versions of the motives of the crime are being considered, including the possible order nature of the murder and the “Russian trail”.
On March 16, the court chose a preventive measure for the suspect — detention without bail. The 28th separate mechanized brigade named after the Knights of the Winter Campaign reported that Serhii Shalaev had been in their ranks since the summer of 2024, but since February 2025 he had been in the SZH.
