President Volodymyr Zelensky has stripped the mayor of Odessa, Gennady Trukhanov, one of the most prominent figures in local politics, of Ukrainian citizenship, as well as ballet dancer Sergei Polunin, who caused scandals with his openly pro-Kremlin statements.

"The Ukrainian citizenship of Odessa Mayor Gennady Trukhanov has been revoked," the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced on Telegram, citing a decree signed by President Zelensky.

According to SBU data, Trukhanov holds Russian citizenship and a"valid international passport of the aggressor state" - a claim he himself categorically denies.

A former MP, Trukhanov has held the post of mayor of Odessa since 2014. The city is the third largest in Ukraine and a key Black Sea port in the south of the country.

The revocation of his Ukrainian citizenship should de facto deprive him of his mayoral mandate, AFP reported, quoted by dariknews.

Previously considered a politician with pro-Russian attitudes, Trukhanov changed his position after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and publicly criticized Moscow, taking up the defense of Odessa and aiding the Ukrainian army.

A source from the Ukrainian presidency reported that ballet dancer Sergei Polunin was also stripped of Ukrainian citizenship.

Polunin, who has a large tattoo on his chest depicting President Vladimir Putin, is sometimes called the"bad boy" of ballet for his passionate performances and controversial statements.

In 2012, he abruptly left the Royal British Ballet after being promoted to ballet star.

Born in southern Ukraine, he has held Russian citizenship since 2018. In 2022, he supported the Russian invasion, and before that, in 2014, he welcomed Russia's annexation of Crimea, where he had lived and worked.