Investigation reveals how former pro-Kremlin president Yanukovych's family lives in Russia and fake name he uses

An investigation by the independent Ukrainian media outlet Toronto TV has revealed that Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine's former pro-Russian president, and his partner, Liubov Polezhai, are likely living at an estate in Sochi, Russia. Journalists discovered that Yanukovych travels under the name Oleg Leonov, and members of his family have an extensive property portfolio and millions of dollars in the bank.

The security guards protecting Yanukovych and his family are believed to be former officers from Ukraine's State Protection Directorate who are wanted in Ukraine and now live in Sochi. They reportedly joined Russia's Federal Protective Service after fleeing Ukraine. The investigation also found that Liubov Sadykova (Liubov Polezhai, who uses her maiden name in Russia), her daughter Mariia Sadykova, and her sister Nadiia Marentseva traveled on the same flights as the security guards.

Photos posted by Liubov Sadykova on social media match previously circulated images of Yanukovych's Sochi residence – the Blahodat complex at 15 Yesaulenko Street. The three-hectare property comprises several houses, extensive greenhouses, a garden, a chapel, and a pond, offering views of both the sea and the mountains.

According to the investigation, Sadykova was officially employed as a manager at Tkachev Agrocomplex, one of Russia's largest agricultural businesses, between 2015 and 2025, receiving an average monthly salary of RUB 50,000 (US$640). The employment is believed to have been fictitious. Sadykova acquired ownership of 337 hectares of agricultural land, which she then leased to Tkachev Agrocomplex. In four years she earned over RUB 50 million (US$640,000) in lease payments and nearly RUB 14 million (US$179,000) from property sales. In total, over the years she has lived in Russia, Sadykova has acquired more than 370 hectares of land in Sochi and over 2,400 sq m of property: five apartments, five houses, and four other properties. Two of the apartments are in Moscow, measuring 102 and 147 sq m.

The investigation also found that Viktor Yanukovych likely travels within Russia under the assumed name Oleg Nikolaevich Leonov. Since 2014, Liubov Sadykova (Polezhai) has only left Russia to travel to occupied Abkhazia, Georgia. Accompanying her, alongside her security detail, was "Oleg Nikolaevich Leonov". Journalists were unable to find any records for this person – no registered address, employment, or phone number. The only information uncovered was an entry in a healthcare database and a date of birth – 9 July 1950 – which matches Yanukovych's. Leonova was the maiden name of Yanukovych's mother.

Yanukovych's elder son, Oleksandr, now lives in Russia with his wife and two sons under the surname Sokolov. Until May 2026, Oleksandr reportedly had access to a facial recognition and tracking system used by Russia's secret services and the ability to edit its records. In 2022 and 2023, he flew from Moscow to Sochi and back with Sergei Beseda, head of the FSB's Fifth Service, and his deputy, Anatoly Bolyukh.

Since moving to Russia, Oleksandr Yanukovych's wife, Olena, has acquired more than 27,000 sq m of property, including in Benelux, a high-end gated community outside Moscow. According to data held by Russia's Pension Fund, Olena Sokolova (Yanukovych) has been officially listed as a homemaker since 2009, yet in 2024 she held US$3.5 million in bank deposits alone. In addition to Russian citizenship, she and her two sons, Viktor and Oleksandr, also hold UAE citizenship. The investigation also found that Yanukovych's grandson, Viktor, held nearly US$5 million in bank deposits in Russia in 2024.