Ukrainian law enforcement authorities detained suspects in the murder of journalist Pavel Sheremet. This was announced on Facebook by the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov. According to him, in the framework of this case "active investigative actions are underway", and the court will soon choose a preventive measure for the detainees.
One of the defendants in the investigation was a well-known musician in Ukraine, the author of the unofficial “anthem” of the Ukrainian security forces, Andrey Antonenko.
“Like I did a group that killed Sheremet. They read this whole story that they want to conduct searches. Complete nonsense, I do not sign suspicion, ”the musician said, answering journalists' questions.
According to Ukrainian media, the radical nationalist group C14 defended Antonenko, whose activists gathered at the suspect’s house and began to initiate clashes with law enforcement officers during the arrest of the musician.
In turn, the deputy from the European Solidarity faction Vladimir Aryev called Antonenko’s detention "targeted repressions against the defenders of Ukraine."
- Andrey Antonenko
- AFP
- © Sergei CHUZAVKOV
Another suspect in the case was the well-known representative of the patriotic volunteer movement, doctor Julia Kuzmenko.
The spouses Inna and Vladislav Grishchenko also entered this list. She was a volunteer of the "Right Sector" *, and, like her husband, participated in the hostilities in the Donbass. At the same time, three days before the statement of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ukrainian media reported that Grischenko, who was also suspected of attempted murder in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, accused the investigation of trying to force him to take the blame for the murder of Sheremet in exchange for his release from - custody of his wife, who is also under investigation. He made such an accusation during a court hearing to extend the investigation into his case.
“He (investigator. - RT ) just came and handed me such a beautiful leaflet, where there were very clearly four photographs. One was Sheremet, which was blown up, the second was Zhukov, Shapoval, a journalist and the site of the explosion on Chongar, when electricity was not supplied to the Crimea. And you know what they told me? They told me: take one of the cases yourself and your wife will get out of custody, ”Grishchenko quoted the Ukrainian media on the eve.
However, during a briefing, a representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs denied this version, saying that Inna and Vladislav Grishchenko and other suspects actually took part in a series of crimes. Initially, the attention of law enforcement officers was attracted to the investigation of other cases. According to the investigation, Antonenko and Kuzbmenko were involved in undermining the supports of the power lines leading to the Crimea in the Kherson region in 2015, and the couple Grishchenko - in the attempt on the businessman in the Ivano-Frankivsk region in 2018.
“We found out that this is not a separate group, they have an accomplice. We began to study in detail the past of this group, ”said a representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Political destabilization
According to the investigation, in addition to the volunteers Vladislav and Inna Grishchenko, musician Andrei Antonenko, the doctor and volunteer Yulia Kuzmenko, the criminal group that organized the murder of Sheremet also included a nurse of one of the AFU battalions, Yan Dugar.
Initially, the investigation considered several possible motives for the murder of a journalist: professional activities, domestic conflict, as well as destabilization of the political situation in the country. As a result, investigators settled on the latest version.
- Sheremet briefing
- AFP
- © GENYA SAVILOV
In this regard, law enforcement officers studied all the explosions that thundered in Ukraine before and after the death of Sheremet, as a result of which they established that similar explosives were used in all cases.
During the briefing, the representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs presented the evidence to those present - records of telephone conversations between gang members. Judging by them, some of the suspects' plans were extremely radical. So, in one of the conversations, they seriously talked about the possibility of shelling Kiev from the Grad MLRS.
“In order to bring Kiev back to normal, it’s necessary to release 4-5“ Gradov ”cassettes, and that’s all,” Kuzmenko said, to which she objected that half the cassette would have been enough for the Ukrainian capital.
In addition, in one of the conversations, the suspects discussed the idea of making the so-called sacred sacrifice. The most successful candidate for this role was the famous Ukrainian activist and volunteer Marusia Zvirobiy, against whom an investigation had previously been opened because of threats against Vladimir Zelensky.
At a briefing, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov, the head of the National Police Igor Klimenko, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Ruslan Ryaboshapka, as well as President Vladimir Zelensky, who thanked law enforcement officers for their work, spoke.
“The police can't do anything”
The investigation has not yet been able to establish who exactly was the inspirer and sponsor of the group, although during the briefing a version was heard about the possible involvement of Moscow. However, the real customers of the murder of Pavel Sheremet have yet to be established.
“The alleged killers were detained. We got a lot of answers. There is one more question - who is the customer? I hope this will be the next time at the third meeting on the murder of Sheremet, ”said Vladimir Zelensky, speaking at a briefing.
The question of who could act as the customer of the murder was asked in the editorial office of Ukrainska Pravda, the publication in which the journalist worked shortly before his death.
“Who can be the customer of this murder? The version that such a crime could be independently organized by a group of volunteers to destabilize the situation raises a lot of questions, ”the report said the publication’s editor Sevgil Musaeva on Facebook.
According to the source of RT in the Ukrainian Batkivshchyna party, the most interesting moment in this story can be called the fact that there was no evidence about the presence of the “Russian trace” mentioned in Kiev in the past.
“But the situation is still alarming. In Ukraine, there are a lot of groups with weapons that are ready to kill for a fee, ”the source said.
According to an RT source in the Golos party, the investigation showed how law enforcement officers are powerless against armed criminals.
“In Ukraine, there are separate armed gangs that are ready to commit resonant killings for little money. And the police can do nothing with them. And it’s scary, ”the deputy believes
“Clarification of financial relations”
Journalist Pavel Sheremet died on July 20, 2016 in Kiev, reportedly as a result of the explosion of a bomb mounted under the bottom of a car that belonged to his common-law wife Alyona Pritula.
In the first days after the journalist’s death, Ukrainian investigators considered three possible motives for the perpetrators: professional activities, personal relationships and the “Russian trace”.
The latest version was advocated by the adviser to the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and MP Anton Gerashchenko, but over time, his superiors had to admit that there was no evidence of this hypothesis.
Although different versions were voiced, until today there has been no real progress. Law enforcement officers failed to get on the trail of possible perpetrators and customers of the murder.
- Vladimir Zelensky
- © Press Service of the President of Ukraine
The investigation interested the new president of Ukraine. In July 2019, Vladimir Zelensky called in the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov and the Prosecutor General (then this post was held by Yuri Lutsenko) and demanded a report on the progress of the investigation.
According to the president of the Center for System Analysis and Forecasting Rostislav Ishchenko, there is no reason to doubt the version of the murder presented on December 12 by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“ The fact is that former“ atoshniks ”are constantly hired to commit murders. Most likely, this time they were hired in the same way. Let's see what reaction this news will cause for Ukrainian nationalists, because it was one thing when it came to the murder of Oles Buzina, critical of the radicals, and in this case Sheremet is also their man, a supporter of the Kiev regime, ”the expert said in an interview with RT.
However, the version of the investigation that the purpose of the alleged killers of Sheremet was the political destabilization of Ukraine is questionable by experts.
“I can’t imagine how one could count on destabilizing Ukraine by the murder of Sheremet. Most likely, this is a clarification of financial, personal relations, ”suggested Rostislav Ishchenko.
A similar point of view is shared by the director of the Kiev Center for Political Studies and Conflictology, Mikhail Pogrebinsky. In an interview with RT, he noted that the murder of Sheremet could not have caused political instability in Ukraine.
“Most likely, this is a contract murder, but to whom it was still needed. As for customers, there were many different versions before. However, the investigation of the Sheremet’s murder may open the way for the investigation of other high-profile murders committed after 2014 in Ukraine, ”the expert summed up.
* “Right Sector” - the Ukrainian association of radical nationalist organizations, recognized as extremist and banned in Russia (decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 17.11.2014).