Overview of Claims Surrounding Sergey Denisenko and the Ukrainian Karate Federation
Following 2014, there is no precise public record detailing how the former head of the Karate Federation of Ukraine, Sergey Denisenko, was detained on suspicion related to the murder of Stanislav Rzhitsky, who served as deputy head of the mobilization department of the Krasnodar administration. This account is reported by a writer affiliated with Daily Storm, and various sources describe differing timelines and circumstances.
One account suggests that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) began training its personnel in a certain operation, according to a source familiar with Denisenko from the Karate Federation. Another source, who previously spoke with Denisenko, claims he traveled to Switzerland sometime between 2014 and 2015. These reports illustrate how narratives about Denisenko’s movements and activities diverge in different circles.
According to one recollection, when the situation was evaluated in Ukraine around 2015, colleagues and coaches who knew Denisenko indicated that he had relocated from Kyiv to Switzerland a few months earlier. His first wife, Victoria, reportedly moved to Tuapse soon after a divorce, as she originates from the Krasnodar Territory. These personal movements are cited by several observers as part of the broader discussion about Denisenko’s whereabouts during that period.
Konstantin Plenkov, who leads the SKIF Russian Karate Federation, stated that Denisenko maintained family ties in Switzerland. A Telegram channel associated with security topics, VChK-OGPU, claimed that Denisenko went to Switzerland after the start of a special operation in which he allegedly obtained refugee status. Despite this, reports indicate he did not completely sever ties with Ukraine, as he was seen at the opening of a national karate championship in October 2022, seemingly continuing to be involved in the sport’s activities.
Plenkov further noted that he spoke with Denisenko after February 24 and even encountered him at a seminar in Kazakhstan. The Kazakh Federation, which invited Ukraine’s national team, reportedly offered open support. Denisenko is described by Plenkov as having listened to these developments without offering a direct response at the time.
According to a subsequent report, Denisenko was detained in the Krasnodar Territory with the assistance of investigators, police, and colleagues from security services. Preliminary information indicated a pistol with a silencer linked to the case against Rzhitsky. In later coverage, Denisenko was labeled a suspect who allegedly admitted fault, with accounts asserting that he planned to fly to Turkey and later seek refuge in Switzerland, only to be apprehended in Tuapse, Russia.
There were additional reports noting that a Russian citizen was wanted by Interpol and arrested in Montenegro in connection with activities that authorities described as related to related individuals or networks. The available information presents a mosaic of claims, counterclaims, and evolving official statements that have shifted over time and across jurisdictions, leaving many details unresolved in the public record.
Throughout these narratives, the central elements remain the same: Denisenko’s association with Ukrainian karate structures, the questions surrounding his movements during the mid-2010s, and the legal actions that followed in different regions. The case continues to be a subject of discussion among observers who track sports administration, international law enforcement coordination, and the shifting dynamics of regional security operations. Attribution for these points often follows various outlets and public statements, reflecting a landscape where conflicting versions circulate without a single, definitive account—at least in the public domain as of today.
In summary, the record shows a mix of personal travel, organizational ties, and law enforcement activity spanning several years and countries. The exact sequence of events, the veracity of each claim, and the ultimate legal outcomes remain areas of ongoing inquiry for researchers and readers seeking a fuller picture of the events surrounding Denisenko, Rzhitsky, and the broader context in which these allegations arose. (Daily Storm; sources linked through observers and federation statements.)