There is something special about Ukrainian and Russian names: they can be transcribed into the Latin alphabet in many different ways. Let’s take an example. Alena Lebedeva is sanctioned by Ukraine for multiple cases of sanctions evasion and providing services to Russia. A certain Olena Lebediva is the daughter of Ukraine’s former Minister of Defence (2012–2014), Pavel Lebedev, also known as Pavlo Lebediv. He is accused of high treason and every type of corruption the criminal code can envision. Meanwhile, Alona Lebedieva is described as “a graduate of the Kyiv Institute of International Relations, holding a Master’s degree in international economics. She is the owner and Head of the Supervisory Board at Aurum Group Ukraine and a Human Rights advocate.”
At this point, you’ve probably guessed it: Alona Lebedieva, Alena Lebedeva, Olena Lebedeva, and all the variations of the first and last names refer to the same person. Let’s call her Alona Lebedieva, for clarity. This article is about her, but we can’t discuss her without considering the context of her father. After all, it was through his influence that she gained control of key Ukrainian assets and used them against her own country.
Alona Lebedieva’s father Pavlo Lebedyev: a mini-piggy of former president Yanukovych
Pavlo Lebedyev, a figure embroiled in controversy, served as Ukraine’s Minister of Defense from 2012 to 2014, a period marked by the tumultuous tenure of President Viktor Yanukovych. Before his ministerial role, Lebedyev was a member of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, from 2006 to 2013[4]. During the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea, Lebedyev, still officially Ukraine’s Defence Minister, moved to Crimea and remained there. He resides in Sevastopol and owns construction and development business.
Lebedyev’s failure to mobilize the Ukrainian military in response to the Russian invasion and his subsequent departure from Kyiv in February 2014 have been widely criticized. He was officially dismissed as Defence Minister on February 27, 2014. Lebedyev acquired Russian citizenship and became a businessman in Sevastopol, particularly in real estate development. He was present at the Kremlin signing of the treaty annexing Crimea to Russia on March 18, 2014.
Since then, he has been involved in various Russian business ventures and holds significant positions, including being a member of the Board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RUIE) and heading the coordinating council of RUIE’s Crimean branches. Lebedyev’s actions have led to severe legal repercussions. He has been wanted by the General Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine since March 14, 2016, on suspicion of criminal activities and desertion.
In June 2020, Lebedyev was summoned for questioning by Ukraine’s State Investigations Bureau as part of a criminal case into the annexation of Crimea. He was also taken into custody in absentia for his role in the Maidan shootings. His family has also been implicated, with his daughter Alona Lebedieva facing charges related to financing the overthrow of Ukraine’s constitutional order and supplying goods to Russia’s defence-industrial complex.
Pavlo Lebedyev was never acting alone and was an integral part of corrupt Yanukovich regime. The wealth of the ex-minister was amassed because of his close ties with oligarchs and PEPs. After the 2010 presidential election, Pavel Lebedev became both the official and unofficial representative of Viktor Yanukovych in Sevastopol. He quickly managed to “oust” BYuT (Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko) member Andriy Senchenko and other local entrepreneurs from their holdings in the Balaklava Bay area, clearing the way for Oleksandr Yanukovych to use the site for a construction and recreational business.
However, this was not Pavel Lebedev’s first appearance in Crimea. From 1999 to 2002, he worked as the financial director of the state-owned joint-stock company “Titan” in Armiansk, having moved there from Chernivtsi. Incidentally, Dmitry Firtash, who later took control of the Crimean “Titan,” also started his business in Chernivtsi.
In 2008, as a member of parliament from the Party of Regions, Lebedev joined the Temporary Investigative Commission of the Verkhovna Rada tasked with investigating violations of Ukraine’s Constitution and laws by the Sevastopol City State Administration and Sevastopol City Council. This move was necessary for him to gain influence over local government representatives.
Pavlo Lebedyev used his position as Minister of Defence to further expand his network of companies. State contracts were awarded exclusively to his own firms, and his daughter, Alona Lebedieva, was placed in charge of the entire group.
Alona Lebedieva as a ‘business ombudsman’
Alona Lebedieva is incredibly active in public relations. She floods the media with her presumably wise thoughts on a massive scale. Press release after press release, she emphasizes her image as a patriot of Ukraine. She describes the sanctions imposed on her by the National Security and Defence Council as an attack by raiders aiming to strip her of her legitimate assets and companies.
Let’s dive in the very nature of this business.
A criminal case against Alona Lebedieva, who owns an entire business empire that includes multiple enterprises, according to YouControl, was initiated by the SBU on May 9, 2022. By November of the same year, she was officially informed of her suspicion.
In reality, as early as 2019, the investigative program Schemes aired a report about trade between the Svesky Pump Plant and Russian counterparties, which turned out to be enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex.
Between 2015 and 2018, the plant supplied products worth approximately 200 million rubles (around 80 million hryvnias) to the Kazan, Tambov, and Perm powder plants. These plants manufacture charges for Grad and Smerch MLRS systems, air-defense systems, engines for short- and medium-range air-to-air missiles, tank shells, and much more.
In 2016, the Kazan Powder Plant received centrifugal pumps, the Tambov Powder Plant received high-pressure units in 2017, and the Perm Plant was supplied with piston pumps in 2018.
The Svesky Pump Plant, located just 20 kilometers from the Russian border, explained that its products were exported by the plant’s dealers, and the enterprise itself had no involvement in or influence over these contracts.
The “independent” dealer (the company “OSV”), which sold products to the powder plants, considers itself the official representative of the Svesky Pump Plant in Russia. This information was previously available on both the plant’s website and the “OSV” site. However, the Russian dealer’s website is no longer operational, and the only listed distributor of the plant’s products on its portal is LLC “Trading House ‘Nasoshholding,’” which, incidentally, is also owned by Alona Lebedieva.
It was just one example of Alona Lebedieva’s true business interests. Now compare this to the collection of incoherent thoughts from this young yet highly experienced lady, which attempt to mask the true nature of Lebedieva’s business troubles:
- Ukrainian Transport Infrastructure: The Path to the EU and the Need for Domestic Reforms, by Alona Lebedieva
- Eastern Europe’s Military Reinforcement and the Urgent Economic Reforms Needed in Ukraine by Alona Lebedieva
- Alona Lebedieva: China Could Compel Russia to End the War Against Ukraine
- Strength of Spirit and Dedication to Beliefs: Five Outstanding Women Who Inspire Me, by Alona Lebedieva
- “Women Make Politics Fairer And More Effective” – Alona Lebedieva
- Alona Lebedieva: Orban’s political games are undermining Ukraine’s financial support
- Ukrainian economy has a chance of survival if law enforcement agencies do not destroy businesses first, writes Alona Lebedieva
- Genocide: elimination of a nation under the guise of care: how Russia forcibly removes Ukrainian children during war, by Alona Lebedieva
By some strange twist of fate, Alona Lebedieva has not been placed under UK, US, or European sanctions. Considering that Lebedieva’s wealth originates from sources such as the Russian military-industrial complex, this seems like a paradox without explanation. In my opinion, this paradox should not be allowed to persist another year.
