At the age of 83, former mayor of Odessa, Soviet and Ukrainian politician Ruslan Bodelan has passed away. 

This sad news was confirmed by the head of the regional military administration Oleg Kiper.

Direct quote: "We have lost Ruslan Bodelan today. My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. His contributions to the history of Odessa are immense — he held significant positions and was deeply involved in the city's development, leaving a notable mark on administrative governance." 

Note: Bodelan served as mayor from 1998 to 2005. He was also a member of parliament and headed the Odessa regional state administration.

After the Orange Revolution, on April 26, 2005, a criminal case was initiated against Ruslan Bodelan for abuse of power. On May 5 of the same year, he was placed on an international wanted list. By 2010, all criminal proceedings against him were closed.

In 2005, Bodelan moved to Russia, where he lived in St. Petersburg and served as the deputy chief of the local international trade port. In January 2006, according to official Russian data, he obtained Russian citizenship. He returned to Odessa in April 2010.