As War Rages In Ukraine, Odesa Votes To Remove Statue Of Russian Empress Catherine II

As Russia continues to wage war in Ukraine, local lawmakers in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa have decided to dismantle a statue of 18th-century Russian Empress Catherine the Great. On November 30, Odesa's municipal council voted to remove the monument that honors Catherine's 1794 decree that marked the founding of the Black Sea city. A symbol of Russian imperial heritage, the statue became the target of anti-Russian anger after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine.