KLYUCHENKOV/LELEKA/MARDAN Sergey Alexandrovich

He is one of the most radical russian propagandists who actively supports the armed aggression of the russian federation against Ukraine. Through the media and public speeches, he systematically spreads anti-Ukrainian propaganda, legitimizes war crimes and uses rhetoric that has signs of incitement to genocide. He is also known by the pseudonyms Serhiy Mardan and Serhiy Leleka.
He is the author of the program "Saturday Mardan" on the channel "Solovyov LIVE". In his broadcasts and publications, he openly calls for the armed destruction of the Ukrainian state, arguing that "the war against Ukraine can only be a war of destruction," "peace negotiations are impossible," and Ukraine should be "burned with red-hot iron." He publicly demanded the bombing of Ukrainian cities, in particular: "Bomb Kyiv! Bomb Kharkiv! Bomb Dnipropetrovs'k! Do not spare any ammunition!".
His statements contain direct calls for the murder of Ukrainian citizens. In particular, he stated: "The most important thing is to shoot those Ukrainian teachers who did not want to work according to the russian school curriculum". Klyuchenkov also publicly called for the destruction of the "priests of the cult of Ukrainianness" as "mad animals," justified drone attacks on civilians ("The main thing is that they fly and fall on the heads of the Khokhuls") and stated that "it would be calmer if Ukraine did not exist at all". In his rhetoric, he explicitly declared genocidal intentions: "We would like to see their corpses. It would reconcile us a little bit with reality".
Klyuchenkov also justifies the occupation of Ukrainian territories, in particular, he publicly states: "Crimea is russian, it can't be otherwise," and calls Kupyansk a "russian city," where, according to him, "it was about the liberation of russian territory." His propaganda materials form an image of Ukraine as a hostile and illegitimate state that should be completely destroyed, and its population should be subjugated and demoralized.
In 2024, the Security Service of Ukraine notified Klyuchenkov of suspicion of encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine, waging an aggressive war, and violating the laws and customs of war.