Mishka Yaponchik (born Moisei Wolfovich Vinnitsky; 30 October 1891 – 29 July 1919)[1][2] was an Odessa gangster, Jewish revolutionary, and a Soviet military leader.

Another version suggests that he began to be recognized by this name after he narrated a story that he heard from a Portuguese sailor to his Odessa friends about a Japanese gang from Nagasaki.

[7] During the amnesty issued by the Russian Provisional Government in 1917 Yaponchik returned to his hometown (Odessa) where he organized his gang to the extent of nearly taking control of the city.

During the occupation of Odessa by the Entente forces (French, Greeks, and British) in 1919 he cooperated with the Bolshevik underground (including Kotovskiy).

Once, to prevent his banditry, he was arrested by the counter-intelligence service (chief – General Shilling) of the Denikin's Volunteer Army.

[5] After about half an hour, his place of detention was visited by a cavalcade of phaetons and horse driven cabs (prolyotkas) with numerous gangsters holding grenades.

After Odessa was taken by the Red Army, some evidence suggests him being in charge of an armored train to defeat the Nykyfor Hryhoriv's mutiny.

Yaponchik's assistant (adjutant) was Meyer Zayder, nicknamed Mayorchik (as diminutive of Major), who later killed Grigoriy Kotovskiy in 1925.

Another version of the story tells that the higher command tried to isolate Yaponchik from the rest of his troops and ordered him to head towards Kiev.

He was ambushed by the Cheka about a mile away from the town of Voznesensk and was killed in a clay quarry during the arrest by uyezd military commissar Nikifor Ursulov on 29 July 1919 at eight o'clock in the morning.