Leonid Martynyuk () (born June 20, 1978) is a Russian opposition author, video producer and journalist.
Biography Born in Lviv, Ukraine,Leonid Martynyuk's Facebook page Martynyuk graduated from Kuban State University (KubSU) with a Master's degree in Sociology in 2001. He graduated from Bauman Moscow State Technical University with Certificate of Business Administration and Management in 2004, and studied at the School of public policy of the Open Russia foundation in 2005-2006.
From 1999 to 2006 Martynyuk worked in the campaign headquarters and the executive committee of the Krasnodar branch of the Union of Right Forces party and represented the organization in election commissions. From 2006 to 2008 he worked as PR-manager on a Nokia project in the company Agency of Humanitarian Technologies - South.Леонид Мартынюк // Information about L. Martynyuk on the Solidarnost website
Political activity Martynyuk is a memberOxford University must stop selling its reputation to Vladimir Putin’s associates // The Guardian, 3 Nov. 2015 of the political councils of the Solidarnost (Solidarity) opposition movement and a former member of the political councils of the People's Freedom Party. He worked in the Krasnodar office of the Union of Right Forces party from 1999 to 2006.
He is a co-author of the reports The Life of a Galley Slave (Palaces, Yachts, Cars, Planes and Other Accessories),Жизнь раба на галерах (дворцы, яхты, автомобили, самолеты и другие аксессуары)Putin’s Palaces: The Life of A Galley Slave. By Boris Nemtsov and Leonid Martynyuk Russia // UpNorth, August 27, 2015For Putin, Report Says, State Perks Pile High // The New York Times, Aug. 27, 2012Vladimir Putin 'galley slave' lifestyle: palaces, planes and a $75,000 toilet // The Guardian, 28 Aug. 2012 Winter Olympics in the Sub-Tropics: Corruption and Abuse in SochiAre the Sochi Olympics heading for disaster? // Los Angeles Times, Dec. 30, 2013Sochi Olympics a 'monstrous scam' - Russian opposition // BBC, 30 May 2013 and Putin. War.Putin. War. An Independent Expert Report // 4freerussia.org, 2015
Martynyuk is the author of a viral YouTube channel titled The Lies of Putin's Regime,The Lies of Putin's RegimePutin's Extravagant $700,000 Watch Collection // ABC News, June 8, 2012 which has a total of over 55 million views for all the videos posted.
Persecution in Russia In August 2014, the Moscow arbitration court began hearings on the claimRussian Railways Sues Lawmaker Over Sochi Corruption Claims // The Moscow Times, 1 June 2014 launched by Vladimir Yakunin, the head of Russian Railways, one of the largest state-owned companies, against the authors of the investigative report Winter Olympics in the Subtropics,Whose Idea Was It to Build a Winter Resort in the Warmest Part of Russia? // The Atlantic, June 17, 2013 Boris Nemtsov, a leader of the Russian opposition, and Leonid Martynyuk. The plaintiff asked the court to require the defendants to refute them and to pay jointly and severally to 3 million rubles.The Tribunal will consider the claim of Railways to Boris Nemtsovs reputation // 2news4.com, 10 Dec. 2014 A representative of Russian Railways claimed: "Almost all of the Russian Railways' negative reputation abroad is due to the defendants' report. The media reprinted this report in whole or partially about 400 times, including statements about Russian Railways. This greatly distorted the entire news media image of Russian Railways. It became negative."РЖД: Доклад Немцова про Олимпиаду навредил репутации компании // Ведомости, 10 октября 2014
Leonid Martynyuk was arrested in Krasnodar, Russia, on August 23, 2014, when he and his wife were traveling on the commuter train from Sochi to Krasnodar, a provocateur attacked Leonid Martynyuk, but the police wound up seizing and accusing Leonid Martynyuk of "hooliganism" (Art. 20-1). He spent 10 days in jail. According to Boris Nemtsov,Борис Немцов. Месть за ролик «Кто сбил Боинг» // 24 авг. 2014 this incident was staged in retaliation against opposition activity of Leonid Martynyuk, triggered in particular by his movie "Who Shot Down the Boeing over Donbass?",Who Shot Down the Boeing over Donbass? which had collected a million hits. The co-сhairs of the People’s Freedom Party Boris Nemtsov and Mikhail Kasyanov issued a statement,Заявление сопредседателей РПР-ПАРНАС в связи с арестом Леонида Мартынюка: Это месть режима и попытка запугать оппозицию // РПР-ПАРНАС, 26 авг. 2014 in which they called the charges of hooliganism fabricated. They argued that "the court refused to view the security camera footage, which would have rendered Leonid's absolute innocence obvious."
On March 4, 2015, a complaint on the arrest was sent to the ECtHR.ECtHR accepts complaint of Krasnodar activist Martynyuk to consideration // Caucasian Knot, 26 May 2015 On May 26, 2015, Alexander Popkov, a lawyer of the human rights organization Agora, said that the Strasbourg Court had registered his complaint; and he received a respective notification of the ECtHR. "The complaint to the ECtHR concerns Martynyuk's unlawful detention and trial, which resulted in his 10-day arrest," the RAPSI quotes Popkov as saying. Martynyuk has won the case in 2019.
Career in the United States Since December 29, 2014 Leonid Martynyuk has been living in New York City.
In 2015, Leonid Martynyuk co-authored the independent report Putin. War, based on materials collected by the late Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov. He wrote a chapter on the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 and conducted in-depth research into Russia’s military involvement in Ukraine. In 2016, Martynyuk participated in the report’s presentation in Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, and New York City, drawing attention to the Kremlin’s covert operations in Donbass.
Martynyuk began working as a journalist for Voice of America in June 2022, contributing articles and video reports that focus on Russian politics, disinformation, and international affairs. His work for VOA continues his long-standing commitment to investigative journalism and exposing authoritarian practices, particularly within the Russian government. Through in-depth reporting and analysis, Martynyuk provides insights into the Kremlin's narratives and their global impact.
On May 30, 2025, Leonid Martynyuk was among more than 500 Voice of America employees laid off by the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees the government-funded news outlet. Kari Lake, a senior adviser at USAGM, called Voice of America an example of government waste. All remaining VOA staff are expected to receive reduction-in-force notices in the summer of 2025, likely marking the end of the network founded over 80 years ago to counter National Socialist propaganda during World War II.
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