Kharkiv mayor Hennadyi Kernes is dead

Multiple sources report that the long-sitting mayor of
Kharkiv, Hennadyi Kernes, is dead, according to online media pravda.com.ua.
Among the sources is Olha Aivazovska, COB of the Opora Civil Network, who made
the announcement by Facebook.

Kernes had been seriously ill for months after
contracting COVID-19 and double pneumonia. On Sep. 17, he was flown to Berlin
for treatment, and remained there until the end. Despite concerns over his
health, he won re-election as Kharkiv mayor on Oct. 25. He had been mayor of
Kharkiv since 2010.

James Hydzik: Even though Kharkiv’s politicians have had months to prepare for this
contingency, the fact of Kernes’ death will leave Ukraine’s second largest city
less stable at a time when the presidential administration is perceived as
increasingly weak. The one thing we do not expect is a rise in overt separatist
activity, despite Kharkiv’s proximity to Russia, as his rivals in Kharkiv
politics included Interior Minister Arsen Avakov.