Andriy Antonenko

On February 7, 2020, Antonenko stated that his lawyers had not yet received the case file for review, so he refused to give any evidence. On March 12, the Kyiv Court of Appeals denied Antonenko's defense, leaving him in custody until April 4.

On December 12, 2019, Antonenko was arrested on suspicion of plotting to assassinate prominent Ukrainian journalist Pavel Sheremet on July 20, 2016. He was accused of organizing the murder, which, according to the police, was committed by him together with Yana Duhar and Yulia Kuzmenko. According to the text of the suspicion, law enforcement officers believe that Antonenko, "fascinated by ultranationalist ideas, cultivating the greatness of the Aryan race, dividing society on the principle of nationality, seeking to make their views the object of public attention, taking action to attract public attention... decided to form an organized group to assassinate the journalist and radio host Sheremet".

On December 8, 2019, during a pre-trial hearing, Antonenko denied the investigator's allegations and said he had nothing to do with the case, and said: "If it is leaked from me – or on my behalf – that I pleaded guilty, understand that there was torture". Antonenko also noted that he was born in a Jewish district and that his grandfather was a Polish Jew, so accusations of right-wing or left-wing views are offensive to him.

A number of activists and volunteers called on everyone to support Antonenko, Dugar and Kuzmenko. They perceived the statement of the Ministry of Internal Affairs as purposeful discrediting of volunteers and volunteers. On December 17, 2019 in Kharkiv near the State Unitary Enterprise of the National Police of the region a concert in support of Antonenko was held.

Has been serving under contract in the Special Operations Forces (SOF) since July 2017, in the SOF Command since June 2019.

In May 2015, Andriy and Oleksandr Polozhynsky, the soloist of the Tartak band, performed for the Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters at the forefront of the Russian-Ukrainian war. He later went to the front to serve under a contract, took part in the fighting in the "hot spots" in the Donbas. He suffered a leg injury and was treated for a long time.

The case is being heard in Kyiv Pechersk District Court, and the infamous Serhiy Vovk, who was previously a judge in two cases that were recognized by the European Parliament and the European Court of Human Rights in 2012 as politically motivated, was appointed judge. In 2015–2016, Vovk was removed from the office by the High Qualifications Commission of Judges, and was removed five times in all. He was suspected of abusing his official position and deliberately violating the law, making a knowingly unjust decision in a civil case, illegally depriving a citizen of the right to own property belonging to him. The prosecutor in the case is Olexander Lukashenko, who did not pass re-certification. According to an investigation published in 2017, the value of Lukashenko's estates is much higher than the income received by the militiaman and his family. In particular, the prosecutor was able to buy an apartment in Kyiv for ₴5.

In 2003 he founded the solo project Riffmaster, where he wrote music, lyrics, was a guitarist and vocalist. In 2007 he released his debut album – "Beautiful Day", in 2015 – the album "Cutlet in Kiev".

In 1989 he founded the thrash metal band "Leprosorium", participated in the music groups ADEM and DAZ Machine. As part of ADEM in 1991, he won a rock festival in Moscow, signing a contract to record in Los Angeles, but due to the coup and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the band remained in Ukraine.

Andriy Serhiiovych Antonenko (Ukrainian: Андрій Сергійович Антоненко; born 1971) is a Ukrainian poet, musician, and soldier who is the founder and frontman of the band Riffmaster. Antonenko was also a participant in the Russo-Ukrainian War. He has been under arrest since December 2019 on suspicion of plotting to assassinate Ukrainian journalist Pavel Sheremet.