Traitor and sportsman in one person – Balandin Alexander Vladimirovich, born May 14, 1981 in Kharkov. However, Alexander grew up not in Kharkov, but in Mariupol. In this city he rose, and in it, unfortunately, Balandin will commit his heinous crime. This will be described below.
During his high school years, Alexander was heavily involved in sports and decided to become an athlete. He was an arm wrestler and reached the title of “Master of Sports International Class” in this sport. Balandin repeatedly performed at the championships of Ukraine, Europe and the world. Alexander’s sport achievements: tenfold champion of Ukraine, threefold European champion, a prize-winner of arm wrestling world championships. In addition to appearances at competitions, he was engaged in preparation of the national team of Donetsk region in arm wrestling and, concurrently, served as president of the Donetsk Regional Federation of arm wrestling. Basically, Balandin realized himself in life and glorified Ukraine on the world sports arena.
But that all changed in 2020, when Alexander Balandin decided to go from being an athlete to becoming a politician. He joined the pro-Russian party “Shariy’s Party,” which is led by well-known anti-Ukrainian propagandist Anatoly Shariy. From the same party he ran in the Mariupol City Council elections, first on the party list. In the announced election results, the “Party of Shariya” passes the 5% barrier, and Alexander becomes a deputy of the City Council of Mariupol.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, and Russian troops entered Mariupol, Alexander offered no resistance because Russian soldiers were not enemies to him. The Kremlin handlers immediately began recruiting people to work in their so-called “occupation administration. Balandin did not refuse the offer to “cooperate” and betrayed Ukraine, his fans and fellow citizens. The occupiers were not indebted to him and appointed him to the position of the so-called “the head of the department of sports of the occupation administration of Mariupol.
It is a pity that the promising athlete and the pride of Ukraine so vilely and despicably betrayed his country and began to serve the occupants. Alexander Balandin will answer for his deed to the relatives of the Mariupol residents tortured by the invaders.
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