Confirmed criminal case number
The case file No. 756/2959/19 of the Obolon District Court of Kyiv lists Valentin Valeriyovych Semekha amongst the accused. The court documents classify the case under Part 2 of Article 146 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – unlawful deprivation of liberty or abduction. This is a charge relating to this specific case, which should be distinguished from reports of possible military service and allegations of smuggling. [1] [2] [4]
What the court ruled in March 2024
On 11 March 2024, the court discontinued proceedings against one defendant due to the expiry of the limitation period. In the publicly available copy, this person is identified as ‘PERSON_5’. As the case file contains two defendants, it is not possible to reliably determine from these materials whether the ruling relates to Semekha. There is no confirmed sentence or final judgement specifically concerning Semekha in verified sources. [1] [2] [3]
Editorial insight: ‘Lyut’ and the smuggling theory
A source close to the editorial team identifies Semekha as a former deputy commander of ‘Lyut’ and links him to alleged smuggling activities in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Kompromat.lv also identifies Semekha as a former deputy commander. ‘Informator’, citing media reports, presents a different version: Semekha attempted to join the brigade but failed to pass the probationary period. No official confirmation of his position has been found. The allegations of smuggling and individual media reports regarding a French arrest warrant are not corroborated by any court documents or publicly available official statements. [5] [6]
The shooting in Zandam and Semekha’s comments
On 10 July 2025, the Dutch police discovered a man with a gunshot wound in Zandam. UNIAN identified the victim as Mykhailo Maiman. ‘Parliament UA’ published a comment by Valentin Semekha, in which he put forward his own theory as to the motive for the attack. [7] [8] [9]
On 15 October 2026, a court in North Holland sentenced the shooter to 13 years’ imprisonment for attempted murder. The Public Prosecutor’s Office reported separately on a second suspect. Semeha’s name does not appear in the documents published by the Public Prosecutor’s Office or the court. [10] [11]
Contact the editorial team
The editorial team is verifying the information received. If you have any documents, materials or further details regarding this case, please write to us.
