Semen Ihorovych Semenchenko (Ukrainian: Семен Ігорович Семенченко; born 6 June 1974) is a former deputy to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, First Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on National Security and Defence[3] and the commander-founder of the Donbas Battalion, a territorial defence battalion based in Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk Oblasts.

In 1993 he entered the Black Sea Higher Naval Institute of Nakhimov, and transferred to the Sevastopol National Technical University, faculty of finances.

"[5][9] On 19 August 2014, Semenchenko was wounded by shrapnel when his forces were hit by mortar fire before entering the town of Ilovaisk, 18 kilometers east of Donetsk.

[17] Semenchenko did not take part in the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election, he said his experience and organizational skills would be more useful for Ukraine outside parliament than the “guerrilla war” of an opposition deputy.

One of the issues of Semenchenko program is building of the Ukrainian military organization created by him which mobilizes the society to encourage a process of forming a unified system of the territorial defence in Ukraine.

[24] In June 2014 Semenchenko together with soldiers of the Donbas battalion went to the Presidential Administration to protest against an introduction of a cease-fire regime with separatists and martial law.

[32][33] Semenchenko was also awarded with a department encouraging honour of the MoI ‘Firearm’ – nameplate weapon having the right to live carrying - Fort-17 pistol of domestic production.

[34][35] During the official ceremony in the Regional Hospital of Mechnikov in Dnipropetrovsk visited by the acting Prime-Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Semenchenko took off the balaklava in public for the first time.

[41] On November 12, 2014, Semen Semenchenko, Andriy Teteruk and Yuriy Bereza had a meeting with the Head of Department of Consular Support of Ukraine - Poliova Alla Valentynivna in Frankfurt (Germany).

[48][49][50] Semen Semenchenko took part in protests to protect a founder and soldier of the Aydar battalion Valentyn Lykholit (code name Batia).

Thanks to active actions Kyiv Court of Appeal let Valentyn Lykholit out on bail of the Verkhovna Rada deputies Semen Semenchenko and others.

[53] In January 2015 Semen Semenchenko together with Yehor Soboliev and others accused a judge of Kharkiv District Administrative Court of delivering a judgment which doesn't express the will of people.

If we have neither anticorruption bureau, nor practice of punishing judges and prosecutors, we will use creative methods: encouragingly, legally, by a good word and a dumpster if necessary.

‘I remember the time when he had only 60 persons without uniform, boots and ammunition and their first weapons they got coming to checkpoints at night’ – continued the deputy head of the Regional State Administration.

[62] Soon at about 9 pm they were informed about 30 vehicles of separatists from so called Vostok battalion moving in the direction of Velyka Novosilka though a real battle did not take place.

[74] On July 8, a video appeared on the YouTube channel demonstrating a meeting of Semen Semenchenko and a leader of the Right Sector Dmytro Yarosh in Kurakhove Donetsk region.

It was the first meeting of two commanders who shared their views to the camera on the ATO course, a role of oligarchs in the Ukrainian politics, Russian mass media and future plans.

They should be rich people, pay taxes properly and stay aside from politics’[75][76][77][78] On July 11, a reconnaissance group of the Donbas battalion guided by Semen Semenchenko nearby Artemivsk had a battle with terrorists who surrounded a checkpoint.

[81] On July 21, during an operation participated by units of the Armed Forces, the Donbas battalion guided by Semen Semenchenko and Dnipro-2 the settlement of Pisky was liberated.

[84] On July 24, the battalion soldiers led by Semen Semenchenko together with other units of ATO forces liberated from terrorists the city of Lysychansk and started to patrol the streets, distribute food and water to the locals.

They found 2 armed vehicles, anti-aircraft missile weapon, anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM), mortars, small arms, a lot of vehicles, tanks of petrol and diesel fuel, a lot of uniform sets with terrorists’ insignia, more than 800 boxes of humanitarian aids, Russian passports and electronic database of terrorists including personal data and photos.

[88] On July 29, a parliamentary Olexander Brygynets informed that the commander of the Donbas volunteer battalion Semen Semenchenko was appointed as a person in charge of Artemivsk.

[89] On August 10, the Armed Forces of Ukraine together with the soldiers of the Donbas, Azov, Shakhtarsk battalions and Right Sector started an operation to liberate Ilovaisk and destroy a fortified area of pro-Russian insurgents.

[91] On August 18, the battalion soldiers led by Semenchenko fighting severely entered Ilovaisk and threw the terrorists out of the city part.

[96] Sergii Ryzhenko, head doctor of Dnipropetrovsk Regional Hospital named after Mechnikov: ‘ He talked to the staff in a strong language and told: ‘you have an hour to get shrapnel out of me and send me back’.

While Semen Semenchenko was treated the battalion command was delegated to other officers of the unit, namely to Viacheslav Vlasenko, codename Filin.

On December 14, the Donbas battalion soldier together with Semen Semenchenko supported an operation to block ‘humanitarian rounds’ of Rinat Akhmetov and counteract the illegal movement of smuggled goods.

Semen Semenchenko put an ultimatum concerning letting these doubtful ‘humanitarian’ goods:Since tomorrow the Donbas battalion will extend the area for catching the illegally moving trucks, introduce mobile checkpoints in the Luhansk region.

The Donbas battalion commander Semen Semenchenko entered the building of the Ministry to meet the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov.

[102] On January 30, Semen Semenchenko together with a part of the Donbas battalion according to the order arrived to the AFU positions Vuglegirsk-Debaltseve to perform combat activities.