Galina Viktorovna Danilchenko[c][6][7][8] (born 5 July 1964) is a Russian and Ukrainian accountant and politician who was installed by Russia as the acting mayor of Melitopol during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, following the kidnapping of Ivan Fedorov by the Russian military. She was a former member of the Melitopol City Council, elected in 2015, and became its secretary soon thereafter.
Galina Danilchenko | |
|---|---|
Галина Данильченко | |
| Mayor of Russian occupied Melitopol[a] (Russian-installed) | |
Incumbent (contested) | |
| Assumed office 12 March 2022 disputed with Ivan Fedorov[1][2] | |
| Preceded by | Ivan Fedorov[b][5] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 July 1964 Orlovo, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine) |
| Political party | United Russia (2022–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
|
| Alma mater | Melitopol Institute of Agricultural Mechanization Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy |
Biography
editDanilchenko was born 5 July 1964[9] in Orlovo, a village in the Melitopol district.[10] She studied at the Melitopol Institute of Agricultural Mechanization She graduated from the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy. She worked in a kindergarten for a few weeks and worked in a laboratory at a hydraulic tractor plant.[10]
After completing a specialization in economics and auditing, she worked as an accountant at a motor plant. In 2000, she began working as an accountant for Melitopol Plain Bearing Plant until 2015.[10] She is now the director of the factory.[11] The company is owned by Yevhen Balytskyi.[12]
Balitsky suggested that Danilchenko enter politics.[10] Until 2015, she was a member of the Party of Regions.[12] In 2015, she was elected to the Melitopol City Council as a member of the Opposition Bloc[11] and was appointed its secretary by Balytskyi soon thereafter.[10] In 2021, Danylchenko was nominated to the position of director of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Contact Centre.[11]
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
editDanilchenko, former member of the City Council,[13] was installed by the Russian occupation forces as acting mayor on 12 March 2022, the day after mayor Ivan Fedorov's abduction by the Russian military.[14] At the same time she announced that the City Council was being abolished and replaced by a "committee of people's deputies".[15] She urged city residents to accept "the new reality in order to start living in a new way as soon as possible." Danylchenko thanked the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, for humanitarian aid.[12]
On 13 March 2022 Iryna Venediktova, Prosecutor General of Ukraine, opened an investigation against Danilchenko for the crime of treason for attempting to set up an occupying government in Melitopol; the investigation was opened at the request of the Melitopol City Council.[16] On the same day, Danylchenko announced that Russian TV channels would be broadcast in Melitopol, claiming that "a great deficit of trustworthy information being circulated" existed.[16]
According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and BBC, Danylchenko does not wield power as mayor of Melitopol, and is instead a front for Yevgeny Balitsky, who she worked under prior to entering politics.[3][4]
Sanctions
editSanctioned by the UK government in 2022 in relation to Russo-Ukrainian War. [17]
Personal life
editDanilchenko lives in Spaske/Spasskoye in the Melitopol district.[9] She voted for Viktor Yushchenko but was not satisfied by his presidency. In 2017, she called Petro Poroshenko the worst president, and stated that she regretted voting for him.[10]
Notes
edit- ^ According to the Security Service of Ukraine, political power in Melitopol is de facto controlled by Yevgeny Balitsky, with Danylchenko serving as a puppet.[3][4]
- ^ The government of Melitopol is disputed due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Danilchenko was installed by Russian authorities following Fedorov's detention by Russian military forces on 11 March 2022, while the government of Ukraine continues to recognise Fedorov as mayor.
- ^ Russian: Галина Викторовна Данильченко
Ukrainian: Галина Вікторівна Данильченко, romanized: Halyna Viktorivna Danylchenko
References
edit- ^ "Новая Неля Штепа: в Мелитополе экс-"регионалка" перешла на сторону оккупантов и объявила себя "мэром"" [New Nelya Shtepa: in Melitopol, the ex-"regional" went over to the side of the occupiers and declared herself a "mayor"]. telegraf.com.ua (in Russian). 12 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
- ^ "В Мелитополе российские оккупанты назначили нового "мэра": известно имя предательницы" [In Melitopol, the Russian invaders appointed a new "mayor": the name of the traitor is known]. ТСН.ua (in Russian). 12 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
- ^ a b "Що відомо про депутата Євгена Балицького, який співпрацює з окупантами" [What is known about the deputy Yevhen Balytskyi, who cooperates with the occupiers]. Zaporizhzhian Investigation Centre (in Ukrainian). 25 March 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ a b Lotareva, Anastasiya; Zakharov, Andrei (1 April 2022). "Экс-"регионал", бухгалтерша и горный инженер: кто стал новой властью на оккупированных украинских территориях" [Ex-regional, accountant and mining engineer: who became the new government in the occupied Ukrainian territories?]. BBC (in Russian).
- ^ Folmar, Chloe (11 March 2022). "Mayor of Ukrainian city Melipotol detained by Russians". TheHill. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- ^ Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "Russia uses kidnappings to intimidate locals in occupied Ukraine | DW | 31.03.2022". DW.COM. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
- ^ "Russians kidnap journalist's father in Melitopol and demand she return and report to them". Ukrayinska Pravda. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
- ^ "New mayor of occupied Ukraine city urges Russias TV for "true information"". Newsweek. 14 March 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
- ^ a b Mazur, Ivan (13 March 2022). "Кто Галина Данильченко и как предала Украину | KLIKER". Kliker (in Russian). Retrieved 13 March 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Vovk, Valeria (28 January 2017). "Галина Данильченко: "Я воспринимаю Евгения Балицкого как образец лидера" | Местные Вести". Актуальные новости Мелитополя и региона – Местные вести (in Russian). Retrieved 13 March 2022.
- ^ a b c Клочков, Владимир. "Директором коммунального предприятия облсовета хотят назначить Галину Данильченко | "НАШ ГОРОД" новости Мелитополя и Запорожской области" (in Russian). Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
- ^ a b c ""Гауляйтер в юбке": оккупанты назначили "врио мэра" Мелитополя". ФОКУС (in Russian). 12 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- ^ "Russia installs 'new mayor' in Ukrainian city after allegedly kidnapping predecessor". www.timesofisrael.com. Times of Israel. 13 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
- ^ Santora, Marc; MacFarquhar, Neil (12 March 2022). "The Russians Might Have Expected a Warm Welcome. Instead the Mayor Labeled Them 'Occupiers.'". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "У Мелітополі депутатка від Оппоблоку закликала мешканців співпрацювати з російськими окупантами". nv.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 March 2022.
- ^ a b Murphy, Paul; Pennington, Josh (13 March 2022). "March 13, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news / Treason investigation launched into newly installed mayor of Russian-occupied Melitopol". CNN. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- ^ "CONSOLIDATED LIST OF FINANCIAL SANCTIONS TARGETS IN THE UK" (PDF). Retrieved 16 April 2023.