Ukraine's ex-President Yanukovych found living luxuriously in Sochi

Journalists have tracked down Ukraine's ousted ex-President Viktor Yanukovych: He lives luxuriously in Russia's Sochi.

Publication date: 2026-07-29 16:27

Seemed to have enjoyed it back then: Viktor Yanukovych at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Photo: David Goldman/reuters

By Barbara Oertel

The man doesn't let anything slide: For a long time, nothing was heard from Viktor Yanukovych. It was only known that the now 76-year-old was in Russia, in Rostov-on-Don. Now journalists from the "Telebatchennya Toronto" project have news to report: The ex-president of Ukraine, alias Oleg Leonov (his mother's maiden name), lives with his family in Russia's Sochi.

The estate is impressive: On three hectares there are several houses, a garden, a chapel, and a pond. His relatives are also far from financially underserved. Yanukovych's wife Lyubov owns hundreds of hectares of land in Russia as well as several houses and apartments.

Daughter-in-law Alena, wife of Yanukovych's younger son Alexander, owns a house worth 18 million US dollars in an exclusive residential complex in the Moscow region. The family's personal protection is reportedly provided by former employees of the Ukrainian State Security Service, who serve in the Russian Federal Protective Service (FSO) and are wanted in Ukraine.

Luxury was not in Yanukovych's cradle. Growing up in a working-class family in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, the previously convicted mechanic rose in the 1980s and 1990s to become a leading figure in several industrial enterprises in eastern Ukraine.

Lobbying for the "Donetsk Clan"

In the late 1990s, he entered politics. The vehicle for this was the pro-Russian Party of Regions—perfect for lobbying for the interests of the "Donetsk Clan." In 2002, Yanukovych became Prime Minister. In 2004, with massive support from Russia's President Vladimir Putin, he reached for the presidency. In the wake of mass protests (Orange Revolution) and a repeat of the second round of elections, he had to concede defeat to his rival Viktor Yushchenko.

From 2006, he was again head of government and in 2010 made the leap to the highest state office. Yanukovych never made a secret of his closeness to Russia. An extension of the lease agreement for a base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the port of Sevastopol (Crimea) until 2042 is also to his credit.

Yanukovych's refusal in 2013 to sign an association agreement with the EU was the prelude to weeks of demonstrations (Euromaidan), which swept him from office in February 2014 and led to his flight to Russia. Previously, in January 2014, around 100 protesters were shot dead by units of the Berkut special forces. Yanukovych has always denied giving such an order.

After his departure, Ukrainians could form their own picture of the gray apparatchik's lifestyle. His residence in Mezhyhirya was equipped with a private zoo, tennis courts, a golf course, and a shooting range, down to golden toilets. The latter were still a bestseller years later as plastic miniatures at souvenir stalls in Kyiv. In 2019 and 2025, Yanukovych was sentenced in absentia in Ukraine to prison terms—a total of 28 years.

In 2022, he called on the Ukrainian army to lay down its weapons. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy must conclude a peace agreement with Russia. Rumors that Yanukovych could one day play a political role again in Ukraine have since faded.

taz is 100 percent owned by its readers and is therefore not only corporate-free but also freely accessible. We make all articles available free of charge, without a paywall. Especially in these times, analyses and information must be accessible to everyone. Our readers do not have to pay anything but know that critical, independent journalism does not emerge from nothing. We are very grateful for that. So that we can continue to do our journalism tomorrow, we need more support for taz zahl ich. Thanks to you, we have now reached 50,000. That many support voluntarily and regularly. Not yet on board? Become part of it now.