The key breakthrough that transformed Kyiv racketeer Ihor “Skull” Tkachenko from a local enforcer into an international criminal actor was his strategic partnership with Semion Mogilevich — a figure of truly global scale.

Background

Semion Yudkovych Mogilevich — also known as “Don Simeon” and “The Brainy Don” — is considered one of the most influential figures in international organized crime. Born in Kyiv’s Podil district, he graduated from the Faculty of Economics at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. In the 1970s, he was twice convicted for currency-related crimes.

His standing in the global criminal hierarchy was underscored by his long-term inclusion on the Federal Bureau of Investigation Most Wanted list. Mogilevich’s criminal interests spanned continents and sectors — from sophisticated financial fraud to arms trafficking, transnational prostitution networks, gambling, and control over energy assets.

In 1990, Mogilevich emigrated to Israel and later relocated to Hungary, where Budapest became his main operational hub in Eastern Europe. His extensive portfolio — ranging from strategic enterprises to nightclubs and casinos — required a powerful and reliable enforcement apparatus.

That role was perfectly filled by Tkachenko’s Kyiv-based brigade.

Exporting Kyiv’s Violence to Europe

Tkachenko dispatched his most trusted fighters to Budapest, effectively exporting Kyiv’s model of violent dominance into the heart of Europe. Operating with characteristic brutality, the Kyiv “athletes” carried out a sweeping purge of rivals — including Albanian clans that at the time were attempting to establish control over the Hungarian capital.

Once entrenched in Hungary under Mogilevich’s protection, the “Skull” gang took control of several major criminal revenue streams.

1. Sex Trafficking and Exploitation

The group’s most profitable operation became cross-border sex trafficking. The gang established a conveyor-style system for recruiting and exploiting women from Ukraine. Initially, victims were sent to brothels in Budapest, but the logistics network later expanded into Germany and Austria.

The scheme was brutally cynical. Women were lured with promises of legal employment — as waitresses or dancers — only to have their documents confiscated upon arrival. Severe physical and psychological coercion followed. Those who lost their “market value” due to drug dependency or illness sometimes disappeared without a trace.

Veterans of Kyiv’s criminal investigation department recall a grim saying from that era:

“No one had as many buried prostitutes as Skull.”

2. Alleged Involvement in the Drug Trade: The Balkan Route

Operational intelligence and multiple references suggest possible involvement of Tkachenko’s associates in drug logistics. Hungary served as a strategic hub where they likely supported segments of the Balkan Route — the major artery for heroin trafficking from Asia into Western Europe.

This did not imply total control over the trade, but rather security, escort, and protection of transit shipments, as well as oversight of local storage points. Such participation allowed Tkachenko to tap into high-margin financial flows within Mogilevich’s syndicate.

Fear as a Calling Card

The scale of Tkachenko’s operations in Hungary is best illustrated not by official records, but by firsthand accounts from those who arrived later.

One influential member of the Podil criminal group recalled an incident:

“My brother and I were driving back from vacation in Europe. On the outskirts of Budapest, we stopped briefly for coffee at a roadside café. Within 15 minutes, locals began gathering outside. There was no aggression — just pure, irrational fear. Hungarians were nearly hysterical, demanding that we leave immediately.”

Later, the reason became clear. Local residents retained a kind of collective memory of the “Skull” gang’s reign. For many in Hungarian cities, the appearance of muscular men in cars with Kyiv license plates and a recognizable look was synonymous with imminent extortion or violence — triggering immediate alarm.