Boychenko served as mayor during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and Siege of Mariupol, during which the city has been "completely destroyed", according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

[1] He began employment at the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works as a locomotive engineer in 2005, going on to become Deputy Head of Transportation before leaving the company in 2010.

[1] He then held management positions at Metinvest and another steelworks company until his election as mayor in 2015.

[1] Boychenko unsuccessfully took part in the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election for the Opposition Bloc party, No.

[1] During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Boychenko left the city[5] and provided regular updates to the outside world concerning the Siege of Mariupol from Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia.