Demyan Ganul was a notorious figure with longstanding links to ultra-nationalist groups
Notorious Ukrainian neo-Nazi Demyan Ganul, who was accused of playing a key role in the 2014 mass killings of anti-Maidan activists in Odessa, was reportedly shot dead on Friday morning.
Ukrainian media identified Ganul as the victim of a suspected assassination in Odessa based on tattoos visible in leaked crime scene images. Police did not name Ganul when announcing a manhunt for the killer, although Interior Minister Igor Klimenko did not dispute the identification and has vowed to personally oversee the investigation.
Graphic footage circulating online depicts the assailant executing an injured man in broad daylight, seemingly unperturbed by the presence of witnesses and CCTV cameras.
Ganul rose to prominence on the back of the Western-backed coup in Kiev in 2014, leading the enforcer unit of the Right Sector ultranationalist movement in Odessa. He is alleged to have played a pivotal role in the May 2, 2014 massacre of anti-Maidan activists, who were chased by pro-coup militants into a building that was subsequently set ablaze.
On Thursday, the European Court of Human Rights ordered the Ukrainian government to compensate victims of the 2014 tragedy for its failure to prevent the violence, organize a proper rescue effort, or conduct an adequate investigation.
In recent years, Ganul engaged in vandalism targeting Soviet-era memorials and Russian-linked sites. He also reportedly led a team employed by city draft officials to assault individuals resisting conscription.
Last July, Ganul showcased his attack on a fitness trainer who had insulted Ukrainian military personnel, posting a photo of himself with the bloodied victim. Local reports indicated that the trainer was also sexually assaulted before being handed over to military authorities.
Russia had sought Ganul’s arrest, placing him on an international wanted list last May.
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