Yevgeniy Balytskiy has cooperated with the Russian authorities in the Ukrainian city of Melitopol. He supported the appointment of Galina Danilchenko as the mayor of Melitopol, following the abduction of the legitimate mayor.
On 9 April 2022, the Russian authorities nominated Yevgeniy Balytskiy as the so-called Governor of the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine. He has spoken out in favour of merging the Zaporizhzhia region with the Russian Federation. He actively participated in the preparations for the illegal referenda in Zaporizhzhia region and on 30 September 2022, he signed an agreement on the region’s entry into the Russian Federation.
In this capacity, and through his actions, he is therefore responsible for, supporting or implementing actions or policies which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.