Reznikov Oleksiy Yuriyovych

Official biography

Ukrainian statesman, lawyer, Honored Lawyer of Ukraine (2006). Minister of Defense of Ukraine (from November 4, 2021 to September 5, 2023). Member of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (from March 19, 2020 to September 8, 2023).

Vice Prime Minister — Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine (March 4, 2020 — November 3, 2021), previously Partner at Asters (November 2018 — March 2020), Deputy Head of Kyiv City State Administration (April 2016 — September 2018), Deputy Mayor — Secretary of Kyiv City Council (June 2014 — December 2015).

Master of Sports of Ukraine (2013). In October 2022, he was included in the list of the 25 most influential Ukrainian military men from the National Front, reserve sergeant.

Representative of Ukraine in the working subgroup on political issues of the Trilateral Contact Group (since September 18, 2019), First Deputy Head of the delegation.

Related parties

• Mykola Katerynchuk’s Bloc
• Servant of the people

Short facts from the biography

• 2004 — one of the representatives of the presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko in the Supreme Court of Ukraine in the case of invalidation of the presidential election.
• 2005 — provided legal support and represented the interests of the Investment and Metallurgical Union consortium in the case of the legality of the privatization of Kryvorizhstal OJSC.
• 2005 — legal support of the interests of PFC “Pridneprovia” on issues related to the privatization of Nikopol Ferroalloy Plant.
• 2005, 2019 — Member of the Supervisory Board of JSC “Oschadbank” (Oschadbank). Due to the fact that he managed to bring most of the conflict cases to a peaceful settlement, he was nicknamed “Peacemaker”.
• He has experience of representing clients in the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.
• 2013 — became the champion of Ukraine in trophy raids. He was awarded the title of Master of Sports of Ukraine.
• Hobbies: diving, skydiving, shooting, motorsports, skiing, cooking.
• In 2021, he was included in the list of the hundred most influential Ukrainians according to the Focus weekly. Oleksiy Reznikov, 55, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, was ranked 18th in the ranking.

Kompromat

A lawyer with a reputation

Oleksiy Reznikov started his career as a lawyer and has achieved a lot in this field. It is no coincidence that in Ukraine he has been called one of the most successful lawyers in the country and a virtuoso in pre-trial proceedings. At the same time, he was often accused of being unscrupulous and indiscriminate in his choice of clients.

In 2000, Oleksiy Reznikov set up Reznikov, Vlasenko and Partners, a law firm that was later renamed Magisters. This office was accused of monopolizing services to the Ukrainian concern Naftogaz. Among other things, Reznikov legalized the transfer of $150 million to the accounts of a foreign company, allegedly for equipment. As a result, Ukraine did not receive any equipment. The head of Naftogaz fled, and Reznikov got away with it.

In addition, according to the Ukrainian media, Magisters provided legal support for an alleged raider seizure of a hotel and office complex in Kyiv. There were other unpleasant stories. Reznikov was accused of harassing the ex-wife of a law firm partner and forging real estate documents.

Alexey Reznikov also worked as a lawyer in Russia. In 2011-2014, he held the position of leading legal counsel at Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners. Reznikov finally quit practicing law only in 2019.

The Deputy Prime Minister’s British offshore accounts

Prior to his appointment as Minister of Defense, Oleksiy Reznikov served as Deputy Prime Minister — Minister for the Occupied Territories from March 4, 2020. While holding the status of Vice Prime Minister, in May 2020, Oleksii Reznikov twice declared the purchase of shares in the offshore company Life earth LLC registered in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). The official paid UAH 133 thousand for two shares of 33% of the authorized capital of this company:

Джерело: public.nazk.gov.ua

The shares in the authorized capital of the British offshore company were purchased from two people — Andriy Miroshnychenko and Volodymyr Vashchenko. They are the founders of the Vse Mir travel company.

Oleksiy Reznikov has owned another third part of the Life earth offshore company since its registration in 2011. During the time he owned a share in the British offshore, he was a deputy and secretary of the Kyiv City Council, deputy mayor of Vitali Klitschko, and even became deputy prime minister. Then, already in the status of deputy prime minister, he bought out the shares of his co-founders and became the full owner of the company.

The Life earth offshore company, which Alexey Reznikov became the owner of in 2020, for its part, has owned 100% of the shares of the Flings Advisors offshore company, also registered in the BVI, since September 2019. That is, by acquiring shares in Life earth, Oleksii Reznikov became the full owner of two offshore companies at once — directly by Life earth and through it — Flings Advisors.

He reflected this fact in his 2020 declaration:

The British Virgin Islands (BVI) is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, which consists of several small islands in the northeastern Caribbean Sea.

It is a popular offshore jurisdiction. The advantage of BVI companies is that the authorities do not disclose the names of company owners and directors without a court order. And there are no taxes on the income of companies and their owners in the BVI. It is enough to pay a fee at the time of registration, and then pay from 350 to 1000 USD annually.

The population of the islands is less than 31 thousand people. However, more than 400 thousand active companies are registered there, which is about 40% of offshore companies in the world. They own assets worth about $1.5 trillion worldwide.

The Panama Papers investigation showed that every second company found in the files of Mossack Fonseca, the law firm that caused the scandal, was registered in the BVI:

Panama Papers investigation finds one in two were registered in BVI

Reznikov also owns a hectare of land on the banks of the Dnipro River in the tiny village of Kyiliv. It’s a fashionable place: glamorous beaches, trendy glamping hotels, five-star hotels, luxury mansions, a yacht club, an ostrich farm, an electric car charging station, several evangelical churches — and everything fits on a two-square-kilometer patch.

The problem is that recently the world media published a new huge leak of documents about the owners of offshore companies, called the Pandora Papers. It sparked a scandal with Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s offshore companies.

Journalists unearthed that before being elected president, Zelenskyy and his Kvartal associates actively used the services of offshore companies. The journalists were able to partially confirm the information that offshore firms of Zelenskyy’s entourage received $40 million from companies associated with oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky.

Also, through a network of Zelenskyy’s offshore companies, two of his associates, Serhiy Shefir and Andriy Yakovlev, became owners of luxury real estate in London worth millions of dollars.

Thus, the new Minister of Defense Oleksiy Reznikov has gone much further than his boss in offshore operations. While Volodymyr Zelenskyy formally abandoned his offshore holdings after being elected president, Oleksiy Reznikov, on the contrary, began buying up offshore companies while already being deputy prime minister.

It is anyone’s guess what the new minister needs offshore companies for. The new defense minister does not seem to be going to give up his British offshore companies.

A million dollars for his daughter

Another financial transaction of the former minister attracts attention. It is a loan of $1,100,000 to Anastasia Steinhaus. This is the daughter of Oleksiy Reznikov from his first marriage. This loan was first reported in the 2019 declaration:

However, later the information changed: in his 2020 declaration, Oleksii Reznikov indicated that he had issued the loan not in 2019, but on March 6, 2020, two days after his appointment as Deputy Prime Minister:

У своїй декларації за 2020 рік Олексій Резніков вказав, що оформив позику не у 2019 році, а 6 березня 2020 року. Ця суперечність може означати, що позика була видана двічі. Але тоді виникає питання про джерело походження коштів. Адже станом на кінець 2019 року Олексій Резніков, згідно з його власною декларацією, мав на банківських рахунках лише $435 тис. і трохи менше 250 тис. гривень. А його зарплата в Астерс у 2020 році, до того, як він став віце-прем’єр-міністром, становила менше 10 мільйонів гривень. Цього далеко не достатньо для оформлення позики в $1,1 млн, яку Резніков нібито передав своїй доньці 6 березня 2020 року.

Anastasia Steinhaus has been working as Managing Director of ICTV since May 2019. Before that, she worked for more than 10 years in various positions at the same TV channel.

Interestingly, in August 2020, Reznikov married Yulia Zoriy, a morning show host on the same ICTV channel, after a three-year romance. The minister’s new wife is the same age as his daughter:

The scandalous son-in-law-builder

Almost nothing is known about the husband of the new defense minister’s daughter. However, Strana found out that his name is Dmitry Steinhaus, and he is the owner of a development corporation that is engaged in large-scale construction in Brovary near Kyiv.

Anastasia Steinhaus got married in 2013. Oleksiy Reznikov himself announced this on his Facebook page.

Her husband, Dmytro Steinhaus, says on his Facebook page that he is the CEO of the construction company 2C Construction Synergy. The last available post on his social media page dates back to 2012:

2C Construction Synergy is known for the construction of the L-Quarter residential complex in Kyiv. It is located in the Shulyavka district, at the intersection of Vasylenko Street and V. Havel Boulevard (formerly Lepse). The complex consists of four 25-storey residential buildings and one office building:

Another, larger (and more scandalous) project by Dmytro Steinhaus is the Scandia residential complex in Brovary near Kyiv. A plot of land with a total area of more than 80 hectares has been allocated for construction.

The complex is to consist of 65 buildings with its own infrastructure. The houses are being built one by one. The first building of the complex was commissioned at the end of 2018. Currently, three houses have been commissioned.

Information about Dmytro Steinhaus’ involvement in this development appeared in 2016 in the Tribuna-Brovary online publication. The journalists published a report from a meeting of the land commission of the Brovary City Council, where it was reported that Dmytro Steinhaus was one of the two beneficiaries of the development. The development was then carried out through Prosperitatis LLC:

Джерело: brovary.net.uaThe allocation of land, the development of the project, and the start of construction were accompanied by conflicts and scandals.

At the time, Oleksii Reznikov, the father-in-law of the construction beneficiary, was working as the deputy mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko. For example, one of the investor forums has numerous reports that the developer does not fulfill its obligations and constantly disrupts the commissioning of completed buildings. In May 2018, one of the buyers of apartments with the nickname «Evil Investor» reported that his contract was signed by «a certain D.A. Steinhaus» on behalf of the developer:

At the end of 2017, Dmitry Steinhaus ceased to be a beneficiary of Prosperitatis LLC. The construction business of the Skandia residential complex was restructured.

Around the same time, the main company of the project became the Freya Investment Fund, where the son-in-law of the new Minister of Defense became the chairman of the supervisory board and the owner of 100% of the shares.

Then, the Freya investment fund became the owner of 100% of Aquaservice Management Company LLC. This LLC, in turn, is 100% owned by the current main developer of the Skandia residential complex, Goodfor-Living LLC.

The latter company is currently selling apartments on behalf of the former. And its founder, Aquaservice Management Company LLC, according to the decision of the Executive Committee of the Brovary City Council of June 23, 2021, supplies water supply and sewerage services to three buildings of the Scandia residential complex, which have been put into operation:

Thus, Dmitriy Steinhaus, the son-in-law of Alexey Reznikov, has now expanded his business of building apartment buildings in Brovary to include servicing the buildings he has already built.

Reznikov’s property

Oleksiy Reznikov probably owns a dacha and a yacht in the village of Kyiliv that have not yet been declared. At least on the pages of his family members on social media, similar property has been shown repeatedly, at different times.

According to the declaration, Reznikov owns three apartments in Kyiv. Their areas are 168, 104 and 73 square meters, and their total value is formally estimated at a meager 1.4 million hryvnias (a little over five million rubles). As Life found out, the Ukrainian defense minister is clearly getting poorer. One of his apartments is located on General Gennadiy Vorobyov Street in the so-called Tsar’s House. It is a restored historic building with four-meter ceilings. Typical apartments here cost up to 252 thousand dollars.

According to the declaration, Reznikov owns three apartments in Kyiv. Their areas are 168, 104 and 73 square meters, and their total value is formally estimated at a meager 1.4 million hryvnias (a little over five million rubles). As Life found out, the Ukrainian defense minister is clearly getting poorer. One of his apartments is located on General Gennadiy Vorobyov Street in the so-called Tsar’s House. It is a restored historic building with four-meter ceilings. Typical apartments here cost up to 252 thousand dollars.

Reznikov’s other apartments are located on Vladimirskaya Street. This is a premium residential complex in the heart of the city. Housing there costs up to 1.4 million dollars.

The official’s wife has a studio in the prestigious Liko-Hrad residential complex on Composer Maitus Street. The price can reach 305 thousand dollars.

The prime minister’s fleet included Lexus and Porsche Cayenne S crossovers, Porsche Panamera and Porsche Boxter sports cars, Audi A8 flagship sedan, Volkswagen Amarok pickup, Kawasaki Teryx buggy, and Kawasaki Brute Force ATV. His wife drives a modest Mini Cooper Countryman. Reznikov owns Vacheron Constantin, Patek Philippe, and Breguet watches, as well as two hunting carbines.

Reznikov travels a lot. He has been everywhere, from the United States to Nepal, takes his women (his ex-wife and current wife) on a yacht, arranged a wedding for his daughter in Portugal, participates in motorcycle races and the Ukrainian version of the game “What? Where? When?”, eats oysters in Michelin-starred restaurants, drinks fine champagne — and posts all this on social media.

In his declaration, Reznikov reflected small amounts of money held in various banks: $48.7 thousand in the American Preferred Bank, $72.4 thousand in the Liechtenstein Landesbank. The rest is on accounts in Ukrainian banks: 16.6 thousand dollars, 255 thousand and 3.5 thousand euros, as well as 398.5 thousand hryvnias.

Officially, at the end of 2020, Oleksii Reznikov and his wife earned more than UAH 11 million together. In terms of rubles, this is more than 40 million. His wife contributed less than 10% of this amount.

Reznikov’s declaration also states that in March 2020, he issued a loan of $1.1 million to Anastasia Steinhaus, his adult daughter.

From Yushchenko to Zelensky through Klitschko

Oleksii Reznikov’s star rose in the political sky in 2004. Back then, he was a lawyer for future President Viktor Yushchenko. After the second round of the presidential election, in which Viktor Yanukovych was declared the winner, Yushchenko filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court, demanding a recount. At the time, the first “Orange” Maidan was in full swing, with protesters demanding that Viktor Yushchenko’s victory in the presidential election be recognized.

The Supreme Court judges then made a legally controversial decision, canceling the results of the second round of elections and ordering a re-vote (the so-called “third round”), which declared Viktor Yushchenko the winner. Oleksiy Reznikov, among other lawyers, defended Yushchenko’s interests at the time.

Then, in 2008, Oleksiy Reznikov was elected to the Kyiv City Council on the list of Mykola Katerynchuk’s bloc, an ally of Yushchenko’s on the Orange Revolution. Reznikov’s deputy career did not work out: immediately after his election, almost the entire faction of Katerynchuk’s bloc defected to the side of Mayor Leonid Chernovetsky. In protest, Oleksiy Reznikov stopped attending Kyiv City Council meetings.

At the end of the noughties, the media accused Reznikov’s firm Magisters of virtually monopolizing the legal services of Naftogaz Ukrainy without proper tender procedures. In 2009, the firm handled Naftogaz’s gas case against RosUkrEnergo, which it lost. As a result, the arbitration court in Stockholm ordered Naftogaz to return 11 billion cubic meters of gas to RosUkrEnergo.

In the 2014 elections, Oleksiy Reznikov was re-elected to the Kyiv City Council, where he became the City Council Secretary and Deputy Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Reznikov remained in the position of Klitschko’s deputy until September 2018.

In 2019, thanks to his acquaintance with the head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, Reznikov joined the Servants of the People team. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Oleksiy Reznikov as Ukraine’s representative in the Trilateral Contact Group for the peaceful settlement of the situation in eastern Ukraine. He later became the first deputy head of the Ukrainian delegation. As a member of the TCG, Reznikov stated that the Minsk agreements should be revised.

On March 4, 2020, the Verkhovna Rada voted to appoint Oleksiy Reznikov as Deputy Prime Minister — Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories. A little later, he was appointed to the National Security and Defense Council.

Connection with Hrynkevych

The already well-known scandalous developer Ihor Hrynkevych won all his tenders and contracts thanks to Reznikov’s godfather Roma Balykin, and now they are rubbing elbows with Oleh Tatarov and Andriy Yermak to solve their problems

“The cancerous tumor of Donbas”

Oleksiy Reznikov did not achieve any results in the reintegration of the uncontrolled territories. On the contrary, he contributed to inciting hatred with his harsh statements.

For example, in November 2020, on the air of Petro Poroshenko’s Channel 5, Oleksiy Reznikov compared Donbas to a “cancerous tumor” and called it “mentally ill territories.”

In an interview with Yanina Sokolova, Reznikov said literally the following: “The main thing for us is not to take it back like a cancerous tumor with which we do not know what to do. But we realize that we have two options. These are sick territories, including mentally. There is the option of complete resection, amputation, or treatment. I am in favor of therapy and full recovery of our body.”

At the time, the passage about the “mentally ill” territories of Donbas sounded as if the government in Ukraine had not changed and Petro Poroshenko was still the president. It should be reminded that under the previous president, statements about the “genetic” inferiority of the inhabitants of the Southeast of Ukraine were made at the level of ministers. For example, this was said by the Minister of Culture Yevhen Nyshchuk.

It should be noted that the epithet used by Reznikov is usually applied to mentally ill people. Apparently, the official considers the residents of the uncontrolled territories that he is going to reintegrate.

The minister’s statement provoked an indignant reaction on social media. Later, the Ukrainian delegation to the TCG stated that this statement was Reznikov’s private position.

Embezzlement in the Defense Ministry during the war

In early 2023, a corruption scandal broke out in the Ministry of Defense over the purchase of food at inflated prices. The department was then headed by Reznikov. The report about chicken eggs, which the ministry bought for 17 hryvnias a piece, was particularly resonant. The ministry denied such purchases at the time. However, the State Audit Service proved violations in procurement worth UAH 2.5 billion, including the purchase of eggs at UAH 17 per piece.

Eight months later, Reznikov’s department was scandalized again. This time, journalists found that Defense Ministry officials had bypassed the auction and awarded a contract to buy summer jackets in Turkey instead of winter ones for the Armed Forces. The price for the clothing was three times higher than the market price. The owner of the company was a relative of one of the MPs, “servants of the people”.

The head of the ministry again disagreed with the accusation. Reznikov offered a bet to the journalist who published the investigation: if the jackets were winter jackets, the press representative would leave the profession for three years. If they were really summer jackets, the minister would resign.

The journalist refused to argue. However, it turned out that the supplier company was probably set up specifically for this delivery. It was also discovered that one of the batches of jackets did not meet the standards and could not be used for its intended purpose.

As a result, in early September 2023, Reznickow resigned as Minister of Defense.