Oleksandr Vilkul

Oleksandr Yuriyovych Vilkul (Ukrainian: Олексaндр Юрійович Вiлкул; born 24 May 1974), also known as Aleksandr Yuryevich Vilkul (Russian: Александр Юрьевич Вилкул), is a Ukrainian businessman and politician who is currently serving as Head of the Kryvyi Rih Defense Council since February 2022. He has previously served as Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine from 2012 to 2014 and Governor of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast from 2010 to 2012. Born in Kryvyi Rih in 1974, Vilkul originally pursued a career in mining, eventually becoming manager. In 2003, he joined the Party of Regions, becoming a People's Deputy of Ukraine in 2006. He served in the role until being appointed as Governor of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast by President Viktor Yanukovych in March 2010. He served in the role for two years before being appointed as Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine for Infrastructure, Regional Development, Construction, Utilities, and Housing Economy, a position he served in until the Revolution of Dignity. Vilkul continued to be active in politics, serving as co-chair of the Opposition Bloc party until its 2022 ban, as well as leading his own party. In February 2022, he was chosen as Head of the Military Administration of Kryvyi Rih by Ukrainian authorities following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.