Overview
- City officials said the monument was removed from public view under an order by regional administrator Oleg Kiper.
- Ukrainian outlet Strana.ua reported that a trident and Azov insignia were painted on the plywood enclosure, a claim relayed by Russian media and not independently verified in the provided reports.
- Russian lawmaker Artem Bichaev condemned any potential removal as a political effort to sever Odessa’s ties to Russian culture.
- Kremlin cultural envoy Mikhail Shvydkoy criticized the covering as disrespectful to residents and to the city’s history.
- The 1889 statue, funded by local residents and located near city hall, has UNESCO protection and has faced prior vandalism, including red paint splashed in October 2024, against the backdrop of Ukraine’s decommunization policies expanded since 2022.