Ukrainian Minister of Defense Andriy Taran has decorated Andriy Vilkul, the mayor of Krivyi Rih, with a medal for supporting the country’s military during its war with Russia, the city’s press service announced on May 29.
A controversial figure, Vilkul is known for his pro-Russian views.
The defense minister awarded Vilkul the medal “For Assistance to the Armed Forces” for allocating city budgetary funds to reconstruct the compounds of the 14th Armored Brigade, which is based in Kryviy Rih, a industrial city of roughly 625,000 people located 400 kilometers to the southeast of Kyiv.
The money was spent on repairing the military unit’s barracks, utility systems, infirmary, gym and mess hall, according to the city press service.
“I would like to recognize the city leadership for its cooperation and assistance to our military, for the contribution made by the city in the development of the 17th Armored Brigade’s infrastructure,” the press service quoted Taran as saying.
The country’s defense minister also happens to originally be from Kryvyi Rih.
The press service added that, during the early months of Russia’s invasion of Donbas in 2014, Vilkul was among the first to organize a local initiative to collect vital aid for the military, including fatigues, medicine and food supplies.
“Today, an unprecedented, extended program of assistance for (Donbas veterans) and their families is operating in Kryvyi Rih,” the message says.
Vilkul, 70, has been the city’s mayor since 2010, and is a member of the pro-Russian Opposition Bloc party, which declines to acknowledge Russia as the aggressor in the occupation of Crimea and Donbas. The party also endorses Ukraine’s rapprochement with the Kremlin instead of further Euro-Atlantic integration.
Before the 2013-2014 EuroMaidan Revolution, Vilkul was also a member of the Party of Regions associated with ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych.
He is the father of Oleksandr Vilkul, also a well-known pro-Russian politician, member of the Opposition Bloc and former lawmaker and government official in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, where Kryvyi Rih is located.
After mayoral elections in November 2015, the elder Vilkul was accused of vote buying and rigging, which triggered mass protests in the city. Vilkul denied these accusations and ultimately retained his seat.
Vilkul has also faced continuous accusations of holding pro-Russian views and negative attitudes toward the Ukrainian military fighting Russian-sponsored militants in the east.
In particular, during his election campaign in December 2015, Vilkul was reported to have asserted in the presence of local Donbas veterans: “It was you who set Donbas afire, you captured Donbas. You are separatists, and we are biting the bullet here.”
The candidate’s provocative statement triggered an uproar and he was reportedly forced to flee the city administration through the back door.
