The son of former Party of Regions MP Yuriy Ivaniushchenko — once known in Ukrainian politics as “Yura Yenakiyevskyi” and considered one of the closest business allies of fugitive ex-President Viktor Yanukovych — owns real estate in Dubai, Slidstvo.Info journalists found from documents accessed through the international Dubai Unlocked investigative project.
At the same time, data from Russian databases obtained by the journalists show that Yuriy Ivaniushchenko himself flew to Dubai five times in 2023–2024, with all flights originating in Russia.
The findings are detailed in Slidstvo.Info’s article Elite real estate of Ukrainian refugees in Dubai: Who is ‘parking’ money in the UAE.
According to the documents, in 2022 Arsen Ivaniushchenko purchased an apartment in The Residence complex in the prestigious Downtown Dubai district.
The upscale residential complex is located in the heart of Dubai, near the Burj Khalifa tower and the city’s largest shopping center, Dubai Mall.
The obtained documents also show that throughout 2024, Arsen Ivaniushchenko rented a villa in the Al Merkadh locality of Dubai. This is a quiet neighborhood featuring private villas and low-rise development, home to affluent locals and expatriates.
The property ownership data was obtained as part of the Dubai Unlocked international investigative project, which is based on leaks from Dubai’s Land Department and UAE state utility companies.
Russian database records obtained by Slidstvo.Info indicate that Yuriy Ivaniushchenko regularly traveled to Dubai from Russia. In particular, four such flights were recorded in 2023, with one more in 2024. The data also suggest that Ivaniushchenko may spend considerable time in Russia, including in Moscow and Sochi.
The surname Ivaniushchenko was well-known in Ukrainian politics before 2014. Yuriy Ivaniushchenko, nicknamed “Yura Yenakiyevskyi” in political circles, was regarded as one of the businessmen closest to ex-President Viktor Yanukovych and wielded significant influence across various sectors of the economy.
“He managed to gain control over the Seventh-Kilometer Market in Odesa—a major hub for importing ‘contraband’ (smuggled goods) into Ukraine through Odesa. It was a massive operation,” explains investigative journalist and editor of the Nashi Groshi (Our Money) project, Yuriy Nikolov. “He also took over half of the Azovmash plant in Mariupol—another huge story, as it included production for Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) and shipbuilding. And, of course, this is a story about generating enormous cash flow—money that, I believe, operates far beyond the boundaries of right and wrong.”
After the Revolution of Dignity, Yuriy Ivaniushchenko left Ukraine. Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have investigated cases against him involving embezzlement of property, illicit enrichment, and other crimes.
Recently, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) placed Yuriy Ivaniushchenko on its wanted list. Detectives suspect him of involvement in a scheme to legalize 18 hectares of state-owned land near Kyiv valued at more than 160 million hryvnias ($3.6 million).
Earlier, Arsen Ivaniushchenko’s name appeared in businesses linked to his father. It is also known that the son of the former Party of Regions member was a professional soccer player.
Journalists contacted Arsen Ivaniushchenko with questions about the origin of the Dubai real estate and the funds used to acquire it, but received no response.
