Yana Rudkovska in Dubai: three criminal cases in Ukraine and the Oak Yard project

Business in the UAE against the backdrop of investigations in Ukraine

The Ukrainian real estate agency "Ze Yard", better known on the market as "Yana Yard", is actively promoting the elite Oak Yard project in Dubai. The company positions itself as "our Ukrainian developer". Meanwhile, according to data from the "Stop Corruption TV" investigation, several criminal proceedings have been opened in Ukraine regarding structures associated with the agency's founder, Yana Rudkovska.

According to the authors of the material, this concerns at least three cases. Victims, quoted by the media outlet Rozsliiduvach.info, claim that the businesswoman organised a scheme in Kyiv related to a real estate deal in the centre of the capital. The parties signed a contract, Rudkovska received a deposit, after which, according to the victims, she disappeared with the funds.

Violence and criminal proceedings

The defrauded entrepreneur turned to the police. He was allegedly promised another premises as compensation, but instead he was attacked. Among the victims is businessman Anton Shukhnin, owner of the "Domino" trademark.

He spoke about a fracture of the bones on the left side of his face and the threat of losing an eye. "The scariest thing was that there was a threat of losing an eye," Shukhnin noted, adding that the situation was saved thanks to qualified doctors. The editorial office has official extracts from the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations, which confirm the opening of proceedings based on his statements.

Criminal proceedings have been initiated on the facts of possible fraud and causing grievous bodily harm. As the authors claim, Rudkovska has not returned to Ukraine for almost two years and is likely evading investigative actions, leading a wealthy life in the United Arab Emirates.

Scepticism regarding the Oak Yard project

It is in the UAE that the businesswoman is presenting a new project — the Oak Yard complex, which is advertised as a "house of the future" with completion by the end of the current year. However, journalists who personally inspected the construction site note that only an early stage of construction is visible on site. There are no signs that the object will be completed within the stated deadlines.

Promotional materials state that physical presence in Dubai for investment is not mandatory, and payment is possible "by bank transfer, cash, or even cryptocurrency". According to available information, investors' funds may be collected into the accounts of related companies. Although, by the logic of such deals, they should be credited exclusively to a state-controlled escrow account, which guarantees the protection of the depositor's funds until the completion of construction.

Depositors' complaints and client composition

Against the backdrop of these possible financial schemes, the first, so far anonymous, complaints from depositors have begun to appear. According to the authors, dissatisfied clients complained on social media: they had already paid the first instalment, and they are being asked for a second one — while construction, as it did not move, still does not move.

Another detail that attracted journalists' attention is the composition of the client base of the Dubai agency, which came into their possession. A number of Russian citizens were found in it, including, according to available data, lawyer Yury Yakimenko from Rostov-on-Don, blogger from Petersburg Alyaksandra Milovanova, Liliya Safiullina, and Yelena Dogadkina, whom journalists associate with an assistant to a deputy of the Samara Regional Duma from the "United Russia" party.

The authors of the material emphasise: the presence of a surname in the database itself is not proof of a concluded deal. However, according to them, the editorial office has at least one real invoice issued to one of these individuals.

Appeal to UAE law enforcement agencies

Journalists from "Stop Corruption TV" report that they have already submitted an appeal regarding possible criminal offences by Yana Yard to the police and prosecutor's office of the UAE. Currently, they are awaiting an official reaction from foreign institutions.