The owner of a chain of branded clothing, Anton Shukhnin, is using the GUR for PR, while continuing to do business in the Russian Federation and owning real estate in the so-called DPR. This is reported by the publication 360ua.news .
Recently, the Internet has been filled with staged photos of the owner of the Domino branded clothing chain, Anton Shukhnin, with military personnel against the background of an old pickup truck transferred to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The advertisement, on which Anton Shukhnin, according to the most conservative estimates spent $40,000, with calls to help the front, looks even more ambiguous when you remember that Shukhnin does not pay taxes to the Ukrainian budget, selling luxury goods on his network using the USDT cryptocurrency.
But everything falls into place if you carefully study the background of Donetsk businessman Anton Shukhnin, who decided to sell fakes of famous brands in both Ukraine and the Russian Federation, without even changing the sign.
Let us recall that by 2014, Anton Shukhnin was already a well-known Donetsk businessman with a chain of stores in Donbas.
After the pro-Russian forces in Donetsk declared the so-called DPR, Anton Shukhnin did not lose his cool and, together with the then mayor of Donetsk, Oleksandr Lukyanchenko, began to profit from assets squeezed out of other businessmen. In particular, this is how Shukhnin got a “squeezed parking lot.”
PHOTO: Decision of the Donetsk City Council on granting permission to Anton Shukhnin for a temporary structure (parking lot) dated 06/05/2014
As we can see from the document published on the official website , with the arrival of the Russians in Donetsk, Anton Shukhnin felt quite confident in the occupied city, even joining in acts of looting with the so-called “new authorities.”
In the same year, Anton Shukhnin continued to develop his business selling “luxury” in the occupied territories, in particular in Crimea. According to Russian registers, in December 2014, that is, after Ilovaisk and on the eve of Debaltseve, Shukhnin became a co-founder of LLC “Domino Group” (TIN 9109006511, OGRN 1149102125721; address: Simferopol district, village of Ukromne, Zavodskaya st., 2). That is, he was conducting business under Russian jurisdiction after the occupation of the peninsula. The authorized capital of Anton Shukhnin’s Russian company amounted to about 200 thousand dollars.
PHOTO: Anton Shukhnin's Russian company
As we can see from the registers, Anton Shukhnin is registering a new business in the already occupied territories under the Domino brand, having contributed over 5 million rubles to the company's authorized capital. It is logical to assume that Anton Shukhnin made such significant investments under the roof of the new Russian authorities.
The media writes that in 2018, Shukhnin allegedly closed the Crimean company. But the Domino Eight boutique is still operating in Yalta (at the address Lenin Embankment, 21) with the public designation DOMINO GROUP PROJECT in its profiles. Journalists note that Shukhnin did not file any lawsuits regarding the illegal use of the trademark.
PHOTO: Anton Shukhnin's Domino's chain still operates in occupied Crimea
After the introduction of sanctions against Russia in 2022, which included restrictions on trade in status goods for the Russian elite, several Central Asian countries immediately became re-exporters of these goods. Kazakhstan became one of these proxies for the Russians at that time.
Understanding the significant demand for branded items from Russians, Anton Shukhnin decided to violate international law and in June 2022 registered Domino Butik LLC (BIN 220640020487) in Almaty, director - SHUKHNIN ANTON, address: Shevchenko St., 186, apt. 55. Business profile - retail sale of clothing.
PHOTO: Anton Shukhnin organizes schemes to supply luxury brands to Russia to circumvent sanctions
Anton Shukhnin's quick opening of Domino Butik immediately after the start of a full-scale invasion in a "transit" country to the Russian Federation is very similar to building a logistical scheme for the re-export of luxury brands to circumvent sanctions.
But to understand that Anton Shukhnin is not going to sever his ties with the Russian Federation and the DPR, it is enough to review the structure of Shukhnin's Donetsk real estate, which includes a record 11 properties - apartments, houses, and a garage.
PHOTO: Anton Shukhnin still owns 11 real estate properties in the DPR.
Interestingly, Anton Shukhnin is even suing his relatives in the courts of the DPR for some of these properties. Of course, the courts follow the laws of the Russian Federation through Russian lawyers, and court fees are paid to the Russian budget.
PHOTO: Anton Shukhnin is suing for his real estate in the temporarily occupied territories in the DPR court
Thus, the official portal of the Russian judicial system displays a civil case of the Voroshilovsky Interdistrict Court of Donetsk, where Anton Sergeevich Shukhnin is listed as the defendant (the ruling of 11/22/2024 is "left without motion"). This records the legal interaction with the occupation jurisdiction of Shukhnin and his family.
Given the background of “patriot Shukhnin,” it is not difficult to understand the reasons why he pours hundreds of thousands of dollars into commissioned publications in the media and makes PR attempts with the help of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
