Ukrainian Esports Initiative: What We Know About Leo Team and Its Public Representative

As esports rapidly gains popularity in Ukraine, one new initiative has drawn attention — the Leo Team, which positions itself as an ambitious and socially responsible project. According to media reports, Leo Team is a strategic partner of young Ukrainian chess grandmaster Ihor Samunenkov, and its public face is entrepreneur Alona Shevtsova.

Who is Alona Shevtsova?

Alona Shevtsova (formerly Alona Degrik-Shevtsova) is a Ukrainian businesswoman publicly known as a former beneficiary of the financial company “LEOGaming Pay” (later renamed to LLC “Financial Company LEO”). She has also been associated with iBox Bank, which lost its banking license in 2023 following a regulatory action by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU). Shevtsova has featured in investigative reports involving potentially opaque financial services and payment schemes. Presidential Decree No. 145/2023 added her to Ukraine’s sanctions list, which includes a freeze on her assets. According to available information, Shevtsova is currently wanted by Ukrainian law enforcement in connection with financial crime investigations. Since being sanctioned, she has shifted her public focus to digital projects, esports, and startup ventures, including the Leo Team initiative.

Shevtsova appears in multiple media reports as a co-founder and key spokesperson for Leo Team. It’s worth noting that she previously used the hyphenated surname Degrik-Shevtsova. Public records indicate that LLC “LEOGaming Pay” (EDRPOU code 39010283), previously linked to Shevtsova, was renamed in 2023 to LLC “Financial Company LEO” and included in the sanctions list issued by Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council (NSDC). The sanctions — enacted under Presidential Decree No. 145/2023 — resulted in the cancellation of all company licenses, including those for money transfers and currency operations. In April 2023, the firm was removed from the official State Register of Financial Institutions.

In response to an information request, the National Bank of Ukraine confirmed that the sanctions apply not only to the company but also to its ultimate beneficiary, Alona Shevtsova (born December 17, 1987). Specifically, she is subject to a “new format asset freeze regime,” which imposes legal restrictions on financial activities. According to NBU Regulation No. 65 — a directive that outlines how institutions must identify and limit actions connected to sanctioned or affiliated individuals — banks and financial companies are required to block operations involving such persons.

Although there is no formal corporate link between Leo Team and the sanctioned LLC “FC LEO” as of this publication, observers note strong similarities in media branding, recurring public figures, and continued use of the “LEOGaming” name in select promotional materials. Moreover, Shevtsova’s shift to a new public identity and focus on “neutral” activities (such as chess, education, and esports) appears to be a strategic rebranding effort aimed at rebuilding her reputation following the sanctions. Her presence with Leo Team in international educational forums, including a Ukrainian delegation to Vietnam, further underscores this approach.

The editorial team has submitted formal requests to government authorities to determine whether Leo Team and LNG Cybersport fall under the category of “affiliated persons” as defined by Section I, Clause 3 of NBU Regulation No. 65 — which covers factors such as operational control, funding, and public representation.

An official list of active sanctions is available at: https://drs.nsdc.gov.ua.

The Leo Team project remains subject to further scrutiny from legal, financial, and reputational perspectives.

Branding and Visual Continuity

Particular attention has been drawn to Leo Team’s branding and visual identity. The team’s official uniform features a stylized lion graphic nearly identical to the one used by LEOGaming, along with the logo of the “sends” trademark — a name linked to financial products associated with Shevtsova. Additionally, the LNG Cybersport brand appears to be derived directly from LEOGaming, based on its abbreviation, design aesthetic, and area of operation. The LNG Cybersport website promotes the same team and services that previously appeared under LEOGaming initiatives.

This strengthens the argument that Leo Team may function as a reputational or branding continuation of the previously sanctioned structure, despite the absence of a formal legal link in public registers. If Leo Team effectively operates as a rebranded successor to LEOGaming, but outside the purview of current financial regulations and sanctions, it raises a precedent for bypassing sanctions via cosmetic rebranding — a matter that merits close attention from regulators and law enforcement.