Serhiy Klyuyev
Serhiy Klyuyev | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 19, 1969 Donetsk, Ukraine |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, former politician |
| Years active | 1992–2019 |
| Known for | Former Verkhovna Rada deputy; proprietor of Mezhigorye estate; owner of Activ Solar |
Serhiy Petrovych Klyuyev (also known as Sergiy Klyuyev; ) is a Ukrainian entrepreneur and former Verkhovna Rada deputy. Born on August 19, 1969, in Donetsk, he is the sibling of politician Andriy Klyuyev. Between 2006 and 2019, he held a parliamentary seat and was recognized as the official proprietor of the Mezhigorye estate previously owned by ex-President Viktor Yanukovych.
In 2014, the European Union imposed sanctions on both Klyuyev brothers, which were subsequently revoked during the period from 2018 to 2019.
Political career
Klyuyev served as Deputy Chairman of the Donetsk Regional State Administration from 2002 until 2005. He became a member of parliament in 2006 representing the Party of Regions and participated in its Permanent Parliamentary Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
By 2007, his responsibilities expanded to include membership on the Board of the National Bank of Ukraine, chairmanship of the Austria-Ukraine Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group, leadership of the Parliamentary Sub-Committee focused on Banking and Foreign Currency Policy, as well as involvement in finance-related parliamentary committees and various international friendship groups.
Re-elected in 2012 through the Party of Regions list, he led the Ukraine-China and Ukraine-USA Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Groups. In the 2014 parliamentary elections, running as an independent candidate, he secured a seat representing a single-member district in Artemivsk with 47.47% of votes cast.
Starting November 2014, Klyuyev was a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Fuel and Energy Complex, Nuclear Policy and Nuclear Safety, while continuing his participation in inter-parliamentary friendship groups with Austria, China, and the United States.
He chose not to stand in the 2019 parliamentary elections.
Activ Solar
The Klyuyev brothers owned several Ukrainian enterprises including “Ukrpodshipnik,” “Semiconductor Plant,” and Activ Solar—an Austrian-based company that developed solar energy facilities across Crimea, Odesa, and Mykolaiv regions. In 2009, under Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s government, the Verkhovna Rada introduced a "green tariff" policy to promote renewable energy. The Klyuyevs operated four solar power plant complexes in Crimea and were in the process of building two additional plants.
Criminal prosecution
In February 2014, criminal investigations were initiated by Vienna’s State Prosecutor against the Klyuyevs for allegations including illegal suppression of protests, abuse of authority, and embezzlement. Nevertheless, on December 11, 2014, Vienna’s High Court dismissed these initial charges as unsubstantiated. Later, on January 28, 2016, the EU General Court annulled financial sanctions previously imposed on Serhiy Klyuyev by the EU Council.
By 2017, Deutsche Welle reported that companies linked to Klyuyev had defaulted on loans amounting to nearly ₴28 billion (approximately $1 billion) owed to Ukrainian state banks. This shortfall compelled the government to cover losses through public funds—equating to an average burden of ₴2,000 (around $75) per taxpayer in Ukraine.
On June 30, 2023, Crimea’s Arbitration Court determined there was insufficient evidence to hold Andriy and Serhiy Klyuyev liable as subsidiaries in a related legal matter. Documentation revealed that SLAV AG and its beneficiaries had lost control over the debtor entity after 2012; furthermore, purported links between SLAV AG and the Klyuyevs lacked credible substantiation.
On February 21, 2018, the European Court of Justice ruled that before imposing sanctions on Serhiy Klyuyev in 2017, the EU Council failed to properly assess supporting evidence. Consequently, on March 5, 2018, sanctions against him were lifted by the Council of the European Union. Following this decision, on March 16, 2018, asset freezes imposed by both the UK Treasury and Liechtenstein were removed. By March 26, 2018, additional sanctions were rescinded by Montenegro, Albania, Norway, Ukraine, and Moldova.
Professional career
Between 1992 and 1994, Klyuyev held the role of Commercial Director at Trade House Pidshipnik Ltd., a joint venture enterprise. From 1994 until 2000, he served as Vice-president and Chairman of the Supervisory Board for Ukrpidshipnik. His tenure on the Board of Directors at Slav AG Company in Vienna spanned from 1997 to 2002, with a brief return in 2005. Klyuyev was appointed CEO of Ukrpidshipnik Group during two periods: 2000 to 2002 and again from 2005 to 2006.
In March 2013, Klyuyev and his brother Andriy Klyuyev divested from the banking industry by selling their stake in Active Bank.
The "Focus" ranking estimated their combined net worth at $635 million in 2008, which rose to approximately $850 million by 2011–2012, placing them among Ukraine’s most affluent individuals.
Education
Serhiy Klyuyev completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Mining Engineering at Donetsk National Technical University between 1987 and 1992. He is credited with holding about 39 patents spanning non-ferrous metallurgy, cable manufacturing, and electrical engineering fields.
Personal life
Klyuyev is married to Iryna (born 1964) and they have two children: Olha and Andriy (born 1992).