06 May 2026
(Vasyl Huliayev. PHOTO: od.cmr.gov.ua)
The mayor of Chornomorsk, Vasyl Gulyayev , has announced his decision to join the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to him, this is a personal step, and he called all statements about his alleged escape or avoidance of responsibility false.
He said this during an address to the residents of Chornomorsk.
The mayor recorded a video address to the community, in which he said that he would remain in office for the duration of his service. He emphasized that he plans to work in the city again after the end of his contract or his return from the army.
In his address, the official thanked the residents of Chornomorsk, the city team, as well as the regional and district military administrations for their cooperation during the full-scale war. He also mentioned the situation with the city hospital, which, according to him, could have lost the status of a full-fledged medical institution, but was saved.
Vasyl Huliayev also said that he was not afraid of criticism and recalls the first months of the full-scale invasion, when the city authorities worked in conditions of constant danger and air raids. He noted that it was important for him to stay in place and demonstrate to the people that the government continues to work.
At the end of his address, the mayor wished the Ukrainian military to return home alive and expressed confidence in Ukraine's victory. He also said that after the war, Chornomorsk would "bloom and become even better."
In March, the Center for Public Investigations found out what assets the mayor of Chornomorsk had declared. It turned out that the amount of money kept by Chornomorsk Mayor Vasyl Huliayev in his bank account increased in 2025 to UAH 138,161.
The mayor's foreign currency cash and gold savings have not changed: 67 thousand US dollars, 49 thousand euros and 230 thousand hryvnias worth of gold.
As for transportation, the mayor still owns a 1961 GAZ and a 2013 Volkswagen Multivan. The mayor also still owns a Breguet watch.
Анна Бальчінос