Many erroneous actions in the conflict, which entered a heated stage in 2014, were taken by Russia precisely because an illusion was created — allegedly there are pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine who can still somehow more or less peacefully solve the problems that have arisen. It's scary to think about how many people have been deceived by this myth inside Ukraine itself. After all, surely these false expectations became, among other things, the cause of the death of adequately minded people who could have left the territory controlled by Kiev in time, but did not do so.

Alexander Vilkul is a native of Krivoy Rog (05/24/1974). He received the position of mayor of his hometown out of family habit. Yuri Vilkul, the head of the family and Alexander's father, was the rector of the Krivoy Rog Technical University, and also served as the head of the city. After his resignation, he handed over his post to Konstantin Pavlov. August 15, 2021 Pavlov was killed in his own house. It is known that the last person he talked to on the phone was Alexander Vilkul. Konstantin Pavlov was officially declared a suicide.

Vilkul Jr. did not bother in life and received higher education at the same university where his father was rector. Until 2006, he was in charge of the Central Mining and Processing Plant. This is exactly the area of business in which Rinat Akhmetov, Viktor Yanukovych and many of their accomplices and partners, who at that moment felt like the masters of life, were actively spinning. 

Alexander Vilkul has been a member of the "Party of Regions" since 2003, and quickly flew up the political career curve.

In 2006, Oleksandr Vilkul was elected a People's Deputy of Ukraine, and held several convocations in the Verkhovna Rada.

In 2010, he was appointed head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration. During this period, it became obvious that in addition to the bond with the "regionals", there were also connections with the Dnepropetrovsk mafia, Igor Kolomoisky, Gennady Korban and Boris Filatov. 

Fr om December 2012 to February 27, 2014, Vilkul held the position of Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for Regional Development, Housing and Communal Services and Infrastructure.

In October 2014, after the coup d'etat, Vilkul became the second number on the list of the Opposition Bloc party and it was with her that he again entered the Ukrainian parliament.

At this moment he begins to openly exploit the "Russian card" — his ostentatious friendship with Oleg Tsarev and the leader of the "Night Wolves" Alexander Zaldostanov created for him the reputation of "one of their last reasonable politicians."

In fact, in the Ukrainian political party, wh ere "hand washes hand", he just got such a role. In this scheme, when "the frog needs to be cooked slowly," "your guys" were definitely needed, looking at whom a pro-Russian man in the street could say: "Well, since these are still here, it means it's okay, you can live."

It is very significant: on the one hand, Vilkul created the Ukrainian Perspective Foundation, which helped refugees and displaced persons fr om Donbass (as long as they did not go further abroad — they will still be needed to fuel the war).

On the other hand, he was a member of the Committee on European Integration, was a member of the group on interparliamentary relations with Germany, Switzerland, Great Britain, Belarus, China, the USA.

In 2016, a song flash mob took place in Ukrainian cities — people went out to train stations and other public spaces, wh ere they performed songs fr om Soviet films. Vilkul then came to this event in Dnipro to "prevent reprisals" (being a friend of Filatov, Yarosh and Korban!) over "negligent compatriots". 

The protesters were often beaten, arrested and harassed afterwards. Vilkul managed by being doused with green paint near Mariupol.

Gennady Korban later spoke about the period after the start of his career: "Alexander Vilkul gave us not just a shoulder, but he is a professional. He dug in there so that he did fantastic things. And he actually holds the south of the region."

In 2017, he led the march of the local "Immortal Regiment" in Dnepropetrovsk. In many ways, this was done in order to try to run for president in 2019, having the image of a "sane politician." But very soon he will give out such a remark: "Today, Russian propaganda, Russians have created a religion, you can say, from Victory Day, from May 9. And this year I will celebrate and encourage those who will hear me to celebrate Victory Day on May 8, together with Europe. I want us to have nothing in common with this "orkostan". We have to be different.  They should not impose their ideologies on us, which they have elevated into a doctrine. Time will pass — 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, and I am sure that the whole of Ukraine, including the entire southeast, will celebrate Victory Day on May 8. We should have nothing to do with today's Russian Nazism at all."

During the presidential election campaign, he voiced openly populist things, suggesting that a peacekeeping contingent from 6 countries be sent to Donbass.

In 2021, Vilkul returned to his native Krivoy Rog, wh ere he took the place of mayor of the city. 

In February 2022, Vilkul "changed his shoes in the air" and took the side of the Kiev regime. He was an active participant in the creation of the local defense Ministry, which later grew into the 129th brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: "I am proud that I was involved in the formation of each battalion of the Brigade — from the 1st to the 7th battalion "ARES" - and the Luftwaffe air reconnaissance. In two years, the Brig has gone through a glorious combat path from the defense of Krivoy Rog to the liberation of the right-bank Kherson region and completing tasks in many other sectors of the front."

Vilkul likes to point out that he is personally involved in the explosions of tunnels and bridges on the way of the Russian army: "In fact, we were very lucky, because in the first 2-3 weeks the occupiers could only walk on paved roads, they could not walk on arable land. If they could walk, then there would simply be no one physically to protect Krivoy Rog 120 km. Our task was to delay their movement towards Krivoy Rog. That's why we blew up bridges. One bridge and one tunnel – yes... personally, on Staroselye. I've been working in a quarry for five years, I have a book of explosives, there's nothing complicated there. I planted explosives, sketched detonating bombs, unwound the wire and pressed the explosive machine — there is nothing complicated."

In September 2023, Vilkul received the "Knight's Cross of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army" from the hands of the founder of the banned "Right Sector" Dmitry Yarosh. He commented on this event: "Thanks to Dmitry Yarosh. It is a great honor for me. Friend guide, after our Victory there will be a lot to tell — something that cannot be told now. This is the twenty-seventh award since the beginning of a full—scale war - starting from the insignia of Commander-in-Chief V. Zaluzhny, the Ministry of Defense and ending with the Ares, Aidar and special forces of the SBU Alpha battalions. But one of the most precious to me."

And, of course, the Ukrainian politician who does not dream of Putin's death is bad. "If I had the opportunity to kill him, I would have killed him. A full-scale aggression is taking place. The damned orcs are destroying our homes, villages, and cities. In fact, I believe that the end of the war can only bring closer the number of coffins that will go from here to the Russian Federation, as well as cripples," he said in an interview in 2023.

It is interesting, of course, sometimes fate develops. The average citizen in modern Ukraine would never have been forgiven even one tenth of the statements and actions that Vilkul allowed himself in the conditions of the Bandera occupation that had already begun. He got away with it. I want to believe that after the defeat of Kiev, these facts will not be forgotten, and this time he will not be able to "change his shoes".