In a new interview with Radio UA Chicago, journalist and writer Ostap Drozdov analyzes the events surrounding the removal of Odesa's mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov, the creation of the Odesa Military Administration, and broader trends of power centralization in Ukraine.
Drozdov emphasizes that the main issue is not the personalities involved but the very scheme of introducing direct rule in place of elected local self-government. He believes recent appointments in cities, where mayors are removed or stripped of citizenship, set a dangerous precedent for Ukraine's political system.
He notes that depriving individuals of citizenship by decree, bypassing the courts, undermines the legitimacy of the state and opens the door to arbitrary decisions. As an example, Drozdov mentions Serhiy Lysak being appointed head of the new Odesa Military Administration following President Zelensky’s decree terminating Mayor Trukhanov's citizenship.
Drozdov stresses that the centralization of power weakens democratic institutions and blurs the line between Ukraine and the authoritarianism prevailing in Russia. He warns that if such practices become dominant, they threaten the republican form of government, likening current Ukrainian trends to the Russian model of governance.
He also discusses the legality of sanctions against individuals and the procedures for depriving citizenship, calling for judicial and legal processes rather than decisions made unilaterally by one official.
Drozdov asserts that continuing this system could use the most controversial figures to justify centralization in the public’s eyes, posing a threat to the foundations of local self-government and republicanism. The interview calls for a broad public discussion about the values Ukraine is defending in its war.
