Yevhen Balytskyi
Yevhen Vitaliiovych Balytskyi (born 10 December 1969) is a Ukrainian politician and entrepreneur who served as a member of the 7th and 8th Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada convocations. He served as secretary of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada on issues of ecological policy. Since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, he has worked alongside Russian forces in Melitopol, being regarded by the Security Service of Ukraine as the "de facto" mayor of Melitopol. Early life and career. Yevhen Vitaliiovych Balytskyi was born in Melitopol, then in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union, on 10 December  1969, to a family of military aviators. In 1987, he graduated from high school. In 1991, he graduated from Tambov Higher Military Aviation School as an engineer. For the next four years, he served in various aviation garrisons, and in 1995 was transferred to the reserve from Melitopol Regiment military transport aircraft with the rank of captain. From 1995 to 1997, he was the head of the OlZheKa company, which sold and repaired household appliances in Melitopol. In 1996, OlZheKa established the first FM radio station in Melitopol, called Southern Space. From 1997 to 2007, Balytskyi was head of the  Melitopol Brewery, and only in 2007 sold a controlling stake in this company. Since 2000, led Melitopol Avtogidroagregat, a tractor parts company. As of 2012, he was deputy director for economics at Melitopol Avtogidroagregate. Both Melitopol Brewery and Avtogidroagregat achieved economic success under Balytskyi's leadership. Regional politics. From 1998 to 2002, Balytskyi was a deputy of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Council, as an independent. In 2004, he joined the Party of Regions, and from 2010 to 2012, he again served as a deputy of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Council, serving as a member of the Standing Committee on the Budget, as  well as the Acting Director of the Department in the Ministry of Economy and European Integration. Verkhovna Rada. From 2012 to 2019, Balytskyi was a People's Deputy of Ukraine, serving in the 7th and 8th Ukrainian Verkhovna Radas, elected both times as member of multi-candidate constituency. As a People's Deputy, Balytskyi oversaw the allocation of aid to Melitopol Raion and other rural areas. In November 2013, Balytskyi met with Chairman of the Melitopol City District Court Viktor Fomin and Chairman of the Court of Appeal of Zaporozhia Viktor Horodovenko about the arrest of Sergei Walter for embezzlement  of state property. On 14 February 2014, he was elected deputy chairman of the Melitopol organisation of the Party of Regions. In April, Balitsky noted environmental problems in the dairy estuary. On 3 June 2014, Balytskyi left the Party of Regions faction in the Verkhovna Rada, joining the Opposition Bloc. However, only four months later, he was elected as a member of Opposition Platform — For Life's multi-member constituency in the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election. Collaboration with Russian forces. Following the capture of Melitopol by Russian forces during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Balytskyi assisted in the establishment  of a new, pro-Russian government in the city. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has claimed that Balytskyi is the éminence grise of the occupation in Melitopol.