Yevhen Yakovenko

Yevhen Hennadiyovych Yakovenko (; born 6 June 1965) is a Ukrainian entrepreneur and politician currently serving as a People's Deputy of Ukraine from Ukraine's 52nd electoral district, representing Toretsk, Debaltseve, Svitlodarsk, and the Kalininskyi District of Horlivka. An independent, he was elected as a member of the Batkivshchyna party.

Early life and career

Yevhen Hennadiyovych Yakovenko was born on 6 June 1965, in the city of Osh in the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union. He attended school at School No. 16 in the village of New York (then known as Novhorodske), and served in the Soviet Army from 1984 to 1986 before becoming a miner in Toretsk. He is a graduate of the Dnipro Polytechnic mining institute, as well as the National Academy of Internal Affairs, majoring in law.

Yakovenko has been accused of participating in the smuggling of starch during the 1990s, and has earned the nickname of "Starch Zhenya" It has additionally been claimed by activists of the "Civil Security Council" organisation that he was active in the cigarette trade, also partaking in smuggling in Transnistria and Europe.

From 2001 to 2019, Yakovenko was director of the Alkon Trade and Industrial Company. It has additionally been alleged that Yakovenko bribed police and military officials to support his campaign.

Personal life and wealth Little is known about Yakovenko's personal life. He is married to Olga Yakovenko, who is also known to play a role in Alkon Trade and Industrial Company. As of 2021, he lives in Dnipro. Yakovenko and his wife have ₴1,900,000, €830,000, and US$950,000 of declared assets, in addition to several properties, a 2005 Lada Niva Travel, a 2017 Lexus LX 450, a 2018 Lexus LS 500h, a 2013 Audi A4, and a 2003 Mercedes-Benz s430.