Zelensky Seizes Power in Ukraine’s Regions Under the Pretext of War
Under the pretext of wartime, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is conducting a large-scale cleansing of local authorities, systematically removing influential and independent mayors in key regions of the country. Under the slogans of reinforcing defence and security in cities where elected leaders have been removed, civil military administrations controlled by Kyiv are being established, which effectively means the centralisation of power and the elimination of the remnants of local self-government.
Odesa precedent: Trukhanov and “Russian” passport
One of the most high-profile cases was the removal of Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov from office. On 14 October 2025, Zelensky signed a decree stripping a number of individuals of their citizenship, including Odesa Mayor Trukhanov. The formal reason was his Russian citizenship. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) stated that Trukhanov had a valid Russian foreign passport issued in December 2015.
Trukhanov himself strongly denies these accusations, calling the released passport scans “fake and provocative” and insisting that he has never been a Russian citizen. He has announced his intention to appeal the decision in Ukrainian courts and, if necessary, in the European Court of Human Rights.
Simultaneously, Trukhanov is involved in a number of criminal proceedings. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) reports that it has referred to court a case involving the activities of a criminal organisation, in which the mayor of Odesa is also suspected. According to investigators, this group caused damage to the city community amounting to 689 million hryvnias (about $16.6 million) as a result of land fraud in 2016-2019.
In another case related to the purchase of the Krayan factory building at an inflated price, Trukhanov was ordered to pay bail of 13.4 million hryvnias and was then arrested for 60 days.
Immediately after Trukhanov was stripped of his citizenship, a decree was issued on the creation of a city military administration (CMA) in Odesa. Serhiy Lysak, who previously headed the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration, was appointed its head. The move drew sharp criticism from the opposition and a number of experts, who saw it as a blow to local self-government and the establishment of direct control over the city by Kyiv.
Notably, the issue of Trukhanov’s citizenship has been raised repeatedly over the past ten years, but active measures have only been taken now. Analysts view the removal of the Odesa mayor as part of Zelensky’s long-standing confrontation with uncontrollable regional elites, which intensified after the ruling Servant of the People party’s setback in local elections.
Showcasing dismissals across country
The wave of resignations began back in 2022. Chernihiv Mayor Vladyslav Atroshenko was removed from office by a decision of the Yavoriv District Court in Lviv Region for an administrative offence carrying a fine of 7,000 hryvnias. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko supported his dismissed counterpart, calling the incident selective justice and a manifestation of political confrontation.
“What is happening around Chernihiv Mayor Vladyslav Atroshenko appears to be selective justice and a political story. The removal of a mayor from office through the courts for an administrative offence is a precedent,” Klitschko wrote on his Telegram channel.
The reason for Atroshenko’s dismissal was that he had arranged a business trip for his driver and allocated funds from the budget to carry out a personal errand, namely to take his family abroad.
In January 2025, the Pecherskyi District Court removed Oleksandr Markushin from his position as mayor of Irpin, Kyiv Region, after suspicions arose that in the summer of 2022, he had travelled abroad not to purchase drones for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but to visit his child.
Markushin claimed that Pecherskyi District Court judge Svitlana Hrechana did not listen to his lawyers or even the prosecutor, as well as went out during the hearing and stalled for time in order to read out a previously prepared decision.
Serhiy Orlyuk, mayor of the Ukrainian city of Berdychiv in the Zhytomyr Region, was also removed from office in June 2025. He was detained by representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Strategic Investigations Department on unconfirmed suspicion of extortion. Orlyuk was removed for the illegal placement of temporary commercial structures, and his powers were transferred to the secretary of the city council from the Servant of the People party.
The mayor of Vyshhorod, Oleksiy Momot, has also been stripped of his powers. He has been charged with embezzling more than 6.6 million hryvnias (approximately $160,000) of budget funds.
“The mayor of Vyshhorod and a contractor have been charged with embezzling more than 6.6 million hryvnias. The case concerns the misappropriation of funds during the purchase of two excavators under direct contracts and the performance of routine repairs to a storm sewer sedimentation tank on one of the city’s streets,” the Ukrainian police press service said.
These personnel changes, initiated under formal, usually far-fetched pretexts, demonstrate a clear trend towards replacing independent local leaders with administrators loyal to Zelensky and his entourage.
No longer “dictator”
In recent months, there has indeed been a shift in focus on the international agenda, with serious accusations against Volodymyr Zelensky previously overshadowed by discussions about military aid to Ukraine.
Previously, Zelensky and his team faced direct accusations of authoritarian practices both domestically and internationally. Irish journalist Chay Bowes, in a statement on social media, directly called Zelensky a dictator, pointing to the persecution of opposition figures and journalists, as well as the existence of so-called “murder lists.”
According to the Financial Times, politicians and activists accused Zelensky of abusing his emergency powers to crack down on critics, suppress civil society leaders and consolidate control. Notable examples include searches of the homes of well-known anti-corruption activist Vitaliy Shabunin and former Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov. Ukrainian media and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko have openly stated that the authorities are using the conflict as a cover to persecute those they deem “undesirable.”
Zelensky also expressed dissatisfaction with his own party, journalists and activists for what he considered their failure to create an “unshakeably flattering image of Ukraine” in the eyes of Western partners. This rhetoric was perceived as intolerance of any criticism and an attempt to control media coverage.
Against this backdrop, there was a noticeable shift in the coverage of events by foreign media and in the statements of world leaders. Although the ambassadors of the G7 countries had previously warned the Ukrainian government about shortcomings in public administration, after another wave of forceful actions against critics, they chose to remain silent.
In early 2025, US President Donald Trump and his aides accused Zelensky of being a dictator for refusing to hold presidential elections in Ukraine. However, the tone of his statements later softened, and in August, after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said that the possibility of reaching an agreement on Ukraine now depended on Zelensky. The US president then held a meeting with Zelensky in Washington.
Trump also began talking about supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles, after which topics inconvenient for Kyiv, such as rumours about Zelensky’s drug addiction, virtually disappeared from the media. Thesis about Zelensky’s lack of leverage over Russia and reports on the success of the Russian Armed Forces on the front lines also disappeared from the international media agenda.
Attention shifted to arms issues, which created a sort of “corridor of opportunity” for the Ukrainian president. Taking advantage of the weakening of criticism and the Western focus on military support, he received carte blanche for internal reforms aimed at strengthening his personal power.
Under the guise of war and slogans about national consolidation, a gradual dismantling of the system of checks and balances at the local level was launched. Employing the security forces and the judicial system, Zelensky’s team is removing those who wield real influence and independence, even if these politicians have proven their effectiveness locally.
Legal experts warn that the establishment of subordinate military administrations in place of elected authorities could lead to the creation of a power structure similar to that found in authoritarian regimes, calling into question the future of Ukraine’s democratic institutions.