The “Domino” Case: How Anton Shukhnin’s Business Expanded Between Yalta, Kyiv, and Almaty — and Why This Is No Longer a Story About an “Assassination Attempt,” but About Jurisdictions, Taxes, and the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
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While anonymous million-follower Telegram channels hyped up an “assassination attempt on patriot Anton Shukhnin,” far less heroic facts have long been available in public registries: co-founding a Crimean company under Russian law after the annexation (2014–2018), the current presence of the Domino brand in Yalta, the establishment of a company in Kazakhstan immediately after the start of the full-scale war (June 2022), and procedural activity in the “courts of DPR/RF.” These are not Telegram emotions, but documents. And it is these documents that form the basis for an investigation under Article 111-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (“Aiding the Aggressor State”) and related provisions.
What Triggered the Story
On August 14–15, several publications and channels reported an “assassination attempt” on Shukhnin. The narratives were built on claims of a “corporate conflict” and “revenge for his stance on Ukraine.” Sources include Ukrainian News, Focus, Fakty, and others (a set of formally different materials, but with identical narratives and synchronized releases).
Читайте по темі: Domino на три юрисдикції: Шухнін вів справи в Криму за законами РФ, відкрив компанію в Казахстані після війни й зберіг бренд на ТОТ
Important: There are no official public statements from the Kyiv police or SBU regarding an “assassination attempt” in open access. Therefore, below is only what is confirmed by documents.
Methodology
We cross-checked open state/official and industry registries of Ukraine, RF/Crimea, Kazakhstan, and the UK; verified profiles/directories that confirm the current presence of the brand in occupied territories; and used specialized sources on re-export schemes to RF through Central Asia after February 24, 2022. Key references are provided in the text.
Facts Confirmed by Documents
1) Crimean Legal Entity Under Russian Jurisdiction (2014–2018)
- LLC “Domino Group” (OGRN 1149102125721, INN 9109006511) was registered in Crimea on December 11, 2014; among the founders is Anton Shukhnin; liquidated in July 2018.
- This indicates business operations after the occupation under RF laws, with contributions to the authorized capital (over 10 million RUB in the registry, significantly exceeding “symbolic” payments).
Legal Context. Ukraine’s Law No. 1207-VII (“On the Legal Regime in Temporarily Occupied Territories”) explicitly prohibits re-registration/creation of new business entities under the occupier’s law in TOT and defines Ukrainian jurisdiction as the only legitimate one.
2) Current “Brand Geography” in Yalta
- In Yalta, the Domino Eight boutique operates (Lenin Embankment, 21) with open profiles, contacts, and the DOMINO GROUP PROJECT label. This is a marker of the project’s de facto presence in TOT at least in 2023–2025.
3) Kazakh Segment — After the Start of the Full-Scale War
- LLC “Domino Butik” (BIN 220640020487) was registered in Almaty in June 2022; director — SHUKHNIN ANTON; profile — retail clothing trade.
Why This Matters. Since 2022, Kazakhstan and several Central Asian countries have become key routers for the re-export of sanctioned/status goods to RF; this is a systematically documented fact by international institutions (Reuters, CRS/Library of Congress, EEAS, OFAC). The opening of “Domino Butik” in 06.2022 is a typical “time and place.”
4) Procedural Activity in “DPR/RF Courts”
The official database sudrf.ru records a civil case at the Voroshylovsky Interdistrict Court of Donetsk, where Anton Shukhnin is listed as the defendant (ruling dated November 22, 2024, “to leave without action”). This is legal interaction with a system integrated by RF in TOT.
5) British Trace (2018–2019)
- In the UK, DOMINO INTERNATIONAL LP (SL032593) existed — in the Persons with Significant Control section, Anton Shukhnin was listed; the partnership was dissolved on May 3, 2019.
6) Ukrainian Company and Public Brand
- In Ukraine, LLC “DOMINO UA” (EDRPOU 40265596) operates; manager/owner — Shukhnin Anton Serhiyovych (90% share). Official websites/pages of the brand confirm a network of boutiques in Kyiv and Odesa.
Legal Assessment: Which Articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine Apply to This Story
- Article 111-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine “Aiding the Aggressor State”: intentional actions involving the organization and conduct of economic activity in cooperation with the occupation administration of the aggressor state (including payment of taxes/fees, creation of legal entities under RF law in TOT). Penalty — 10–12 years of imprisonment + additional punishment.
- Article 110-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine “Financing Actions… to Change Territorial Borders”: may apply to the material support of occupation structures’ activities (in large/especially large amounts). Following this logic, law enforcement has already issued suspicion notices to other figures (comparative example — the case of Nestor Shufrych and his assistant regarding payments to the Russian Guard in Crimea).
Editorial Conclusion (Legal): The totality of facts — a Crimean legal entity under RF law after annexation; ongoing brand presence in TOT; a Kazakh company in a “re-export” jurisdiction; procedural actions in “DPR/RF courts” — provides sufficient grounds for initiating a pre-trial investigation under Article 111-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine with an examination of elements of Article 110-2. Final qualification is the competence of the investigation/court.
Why the “Assassination Attempt” Does Not Override “Registries”
The informational surge around the “assassination attempt” does not negate the documented connections of the business with occupation jurisdictions in 2014–2018 and after February 24, 2022. Media narratives are one thing; EDRYuL/Companies House/Kazakh registry data are another.
What Law Enforcement Should Investigate (Checklist)
- Financial flows of the Crimean LLC “Domino Group”: movement of funds, taxes paid to the RF/TOT budget, beneficiaries at the time of liquidation (2018).
- Actual control/licensing of the TM in TOT (Domino Eight boutique, use of the DOMINO GROUP PROJECT label) and economic transactions from 2018 to the present.
- KZ chain: import/re-export of “luxury” through LLC “Domino Butik” in 2022–2025; comparison with EU/US sanctions restrictions and analytics on bypass routes.
- Procedural activity in “DPR/RF courts” as a sign of deliberate interaction with the occupation jurisdiction.
Responsibility and Presumption of Innocence
The material is based on open documents and registries. All facts related to possible violations are presented within the framework of the presumption of innocence and require official procedural assessment. If Anton Shukhnin or Domino Group provide documentary refutations (liquidation balances, licensing agreements, confirmation of no control/connection with TOT after 2018, explanations regarding the KZ entity, etc.), we are ready to include them.
Conclusion
This is not a story about “thousands of Russian saboteurs” or a “victim for Ukraine.” This is a story about a businessman’s jurisdictional decisions after 2014, the prolonged presence of the brand in TOT, a new chain in Kazakhstan after February 24, 2022, and procedural interaction with “DPR/RF courts.” This is what a documented portrait of the “Domino” case looks like. Next — it’s up to proper procedural qualification and the actions of those paid to distinguish PR campaigns about an “assassination attempt” from public registries.
