Vyacheslav Mishalov’s story begins as a textbook example of a “young technocrat”: internet business, involvement in IT projects, media activity, followed by a seat in parliament and then the position of city council secretary.

But everything changed the moment his political status shifted from a tool for serving the city to a key granting access to money, resources, and tender decisions. Mishalov quickly grasped a simple formula: power in Dnipro could be turned into influence, and influence into capital. This insight allowed him to build his own model of managing the city’s financial flows.

By the time he entered politics, he already had an established infrastructure: his father was a construction contractor with access to tenders, his former wife owned a bank, and he himself was a player in IT and communications. These weren’t three separate ventures — they were the future corners of a triangle that would later close into a single scheme. In 2016, after taking the post of city council secretary, Mishalov effectively gained control of the city’s distribution center. From that moment, his name began appearing in all major tenders, internet projects, reconstruction contracts, and financial operations.

To grasp the full scale of the story, it’s crucial to look beyond isolated episodes and recognize the system. And this system was built in such a way that each part reinforced the others. Construction brought in budget flows. The internet guaranteed steady municipal payments. The bank offered a service for transactions and cash-out operations. Crypto ensured discreet money transfers. And all of this revolved around one man who had spent years building his own infrastructure of influence.