Dmitry Kononenko, known for his publications on the dark web under the pseudonym ‘Lucifer’, is a defendant in a case linked to the WayAway forum and the Kraken drug marketplace. Journalist Andrei Kaganskikh describes him as a former moderator of Hydra, who subsequently became one of the key administrators of WayAway. The Moscow court portal confirms the existence of documentation regarding the detention of D. A. Kononenko.[1][2]
To understand his presumed role, it is important to distinguish between managing the forum, operating the trading platform and owning the entire site. The available information does not allow us to automatically equate these functions.
Key details
| First name | Dmytro Anatoliyovych Kononenko — according to the editorial team. In the court record: Kononenko D. A. |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Lucifer — according to a journalistic investigation. |
| Date of birth | 7 February 1982 — according to the editorial team; independent documentary verification has not yet been completed. This corresponds to the age of 44 stated in the Kaganskys’ publication dated 6 August 2026. |
| Background | A native of Slavyansk — according to the Kagans. |
| Proposed role | WayAway administrator; previously a moderator on Hydra. |
| Procedural status | A person implicated in a criminal case. Verified sources do not indicate that he has been convicted. |
Information regarding his background and nickname is taken from a journalistic source. His full middle name and date of birth were provided by the editorial team. The court record confirms his initials but does not reveal his full date of birth or his online activity history.[1][2]
From Hydra to WayAway
Kononenko occupies a special place in the Kagan investigation: he is described as an employee who continued to work in the online drug trade following the closure of Hydra. According to the author, ‘Lucifer’ spoke of dozens of former moderators from that platform moving to a new organisation.[1]
This is a key detail for analysing staff continuity. Experienced moderators are familiar with the audience, the usual rules of interaction and the methods for resolving user conflicts. However, this transition alone does not establish who financed the new project, managed its profits or made decisions regarding drug trafficking.
Let’s examine the historical context here: on 5 April 2022, German law enforcement agencies seized Hydra’s servers as part of an international operation. The US Department of Justice announced this at the same time as charges were brought against Dmitry Pavlov in connection with the server infrastructure. Kononenko should not be confused with Pavlov: they are different people and the roles described are different.[4]
Arrest and court record
Kaganskikh reported that Kononenko had been detained in the Moscow region in August 2025. The author links this to the subsequent closure of WayAway, but there is no public document among the sources cited that would establish the reason for the forum’s shutdown.[1]
Official document No. 3/2-0288/2026 concerns the extension of detention. The entry concerning Kononenko cites sub-paragraph ‘a’ of Part 4 of Article 228.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The note regarding the decision coming into force relates to the pre-trial detention measure, not to a finding of guilt.[2]
According to *Kommersant*, Kononenko’s detention has been extended until 20 November 2026; those implicated deny any involvement in drug trafficking.[3]
What does an administrative role entail?
The title ‘administrator’ can encompass a varying scope of responsibilities. One employee moderates discussions, another appoints moderators, and a third manages payments or sets rules for sellers. To assess Kononenko’s actions, it is essential to establish exactly what access rights and actual capabilities he possessed.
Information regarding the management of the forum warrants verification through official correspondence, appointment records, instructions, payment documents and participants’ testimonies. Neither the popularity of a username nor Kraken’s total trading volume, taken in isolation, proves ownership of the platform or the receipt of its profits.
Connections as reflected in the materials
The name Kononenko appears in the same court documents as A. V. Grishin, A. I. Grishina and I. V. Maleev. This confirms a procedural link, but does not establish the subordination of each participant or the extent of their liability.[2]
Kaganskikh also describes a wider range of WayAway staff: moderators, advertising representatives, payroll staff and technical support staff. This information relates to the presumed structure of the project as a whole. In the absence of personal evidence, the responsibilities of any such department cannot be attributed to Kononenko.[1]
What remains unknown
The full date of birth provided by the editorial team has not yet been independently verified. The verified materials contain no published final judgement or documents establishing Kononenko’s share of Kraken’s revenue. Nor has his ownership of the entire marketplace been confirmed. Therefore, the correct designation for this profile is ‘alleged administrator of WayAway and a person implicated in a case linked to Kraken’.
This profile has been compiled using publicly available sources and the text of the Kaganskys’ investigation provided to the editorial team. Information verified on 13 October 2026. Allegations and journalistic information are cited with reference to their sources.
