Mikhail Rybalko

Kaliningrad-born, Mikhail Rybalko came up through the Baltika academy and spent his early senior years in the club's reserve sides, then in the third-tier Second Division, before a loan spell in Belarus with Smorgon brought him regular football: 21 appearances and a goal over a year and a half. Back at Baltika he returned to the reserves, racking up more than fifty appearances across two seasons in Division B, with a single outing for the first team in the FNL along the way.

The move that changed things came in January 2024, when Rybalko joined Veles on a free transfer. He quickly became a key player in defence. Playing in the Second League Division A's Gold Group, Veles finished sixth in the second stage, enough to reach the promotion playoffs. There, Veles beat FC Sibir Novosibirsk 5-3 on aggregate — winning 4-1 at home before holding on for a 1-2 defeat away — to secure promotion to the FNL for the following season.

Rybalko's form did not go unnoticed beyond the club: he was named to a media-selected FNL Team. He has yet to add senior international recognition to his record.