Investigation reveals details about former president Yanukovych and his family in Russia – including his fake name
An investigation has revealed that Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine's former pro-Russian president, and his partner, Liubov Polezhai, are likely to be living at an estate in Sochi, Russia. The journalists learned that Yanukovych travels under the name Oleg Leonov, and that members of his family have an extensive property portfolio and millions of dollars in the bank.
Source: an investigation by Toronto TV, an independent Ukrainian investigative media outlet
Details: Toronto TV has scrutinised the lifestyle and financial status of Yanukovych's close family members.
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 travelled 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, and offers views of both the sea and the mountains.
The journalists also identified a number of additional photos of the estate that had been posted online by builders.
A large land plot nearby, along with an abandoned resort guesthouse, is also registered in the name of Liubov Sadykova.
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 and measure 102 and 147 sq m.
The investigation also found that Sadykova registered a company called Shchedrodar in Sochi in 2024. However, according to its financial statements, the company made a loss of RUB 2 million (US$26,000) in 2025.
The journalists also concluded 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".
The journalists were unable to find any records for this person – no registered address, employment or phone number. The only information they 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, who died when he was two.
The journalists also found a phone number used by Yanukovych's ex-wife, Liudmyla Yanukovych, on the portal for Russia's Gosuslugi (Federal State Information System). Since 19 June 2026, the number has been listed as belonging to a deceased person. However, the journalists found no other evidence confirming her death.
According to the investigation, 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.
The journalists found that former Ukrainian prosecutor general Viktor Pshonka and his wife also travelled with the FSB officials, under the names Viktor Fedorov and Olga Fedorova.
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.
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