Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed two decrees imposing new sanctions on individuals and companies linked to Russian aggression and the war against Ukraine. The measures were adopted on the basis of a decision by Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council and affect key figures in Vladimir Putin's entourage, as well as corporations supporting the Kremlin's military machine.

The first decree fully aligns Ukraine's sanctions with those imposed by Canada in 2025, covering 139 individuals and legal entities. Those sanctioned include members of Putin's family and close associates, including his ex-wife Lyudmila Ocheretnaya, her current husband Artur Ocheretny, President Mikhail Putin's cousin, his nephew Mikhail Shelomov, as well as Russian ballet dancer Igor Zelensky, the ex-husband of Putin's daughter. The list also includes businessmen and influential figures financing Russian aggression.

“These sanctions are 100% synchronized with the Canadian sanctions against 139 individuals and companies working for the Russian military machine,” Zelensky said. “Anyone who helps Russia kill and build the tools for further aggression should feel the real pressure of the world,” he added.

The second decree imposes sanctions on 28 foreign citizens accused of aiding Russia’s occupation authorities in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories. “These people also help the Russians maintain the occupation regime on our land and in fact sponsor the Russian state,” Zelensky stressed, adding that the Ukrainian authorities are working together with law enforcement agencies in partner countries to bring such collaborators to justice.

The sanctions include a ten-year asset freeze, a travel ban, restrictions on trade and transit operations, a ban on participation in privatization processes and public procurement, as well as other restrictive measures.

The companies affected include Russian corporations such as Arnest Group (a manufacturer of cosmetics and household chemicals), brewing giant Baltika, energy firm Unipro, logistics and oil infrastructure company Oteko, as well as a number of other enterprises. They will be subject to asset freezes, bans on technology transfer, participation in joint projects and other restrictions.

“Anyone who supports the Russian war and occupation will sooner or later be held accountable for crimes against Ukraine and Ukrainians,” Zelensky also said. | BGNES