Making Sense of the ‘Semenchenko’s PMC’ Affair
Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 18 Issue: 71
Former Ukrainian Parliamentarian and Donbas Battalion commander Semen Semenchenko (Source: 112.international)
On March 24, the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) announced it had exposed and impeded the activity of two illegal private military companies (PMC) Doncorp Ukraine and its parent entity, Donbas Battalion Corporation. A pair of former Ukrainian people’s deputies the former commander of the Donbas Battalion, Semen Semenchenko, and a “freelance agent” of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, Yevhen Shevchenko are suspected of organizing these PMCs. Both face potential charges under Article 260 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, “Establishment of paramilitary or armed formations not envisaged by law.” According to the SSU, 15 citizens of Ukraine controlled and coordinated the activities of these criminal organizations. In particular, they allegedly re