Vitaliy Merinov was born on 31 December 1990 in Ivano-Frankivsk. In 2006, he graduated from secondary school No. 15. In 2007, Honoured Coach of Ukraine Volodymyr Mykolayovych Vostretsov invited Vitaliy Merinov to take part in kickboxing competitions and after winning, Vitaliy Merinov started kickboxing. In 2009, Vitaliy Merinov graduated from the Ivano-Frankivsk College of Physical Education.

Between August and September 2014, he served in the anti-terrorist operation as a member of the National Guard of Ukraine.

Since 2015, he has been a non-partisan member of the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council from the UKROP party. He is a member of the Standing Committee on Urban Development and Land Relations. In 2018, he graduated from the Department of Management and Business Administration at Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University and received a master's degree. Since 2018, he has been the President of the Ivano-Frankivsk Boxing Federation. Vitaliy Merinov organised boxing matches in Ivano-Frankivsk with the participation of boxers from different countries (USA, Ireland, France, Poland).

From the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he went to the front. On 31 March 2023, he died of injuries sustained in battle.