Zelensky Endorses New Sanctions on Russians and Foreigners Seen to be Abetting Them

President Volodymyr Zelensky has put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of April 22 on the application of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions) and another decision on the application and amendment of previously imposed sanctions.

Relevant decrees No. 235/20223 and No. 23/2023 are published on the website of the head of state.

The list of persons sanctioned includes 40 individuals, of which 25 are citizens of the Russian Federation (one of them has dual citizenship of the Russian Federation and the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis), four citizens of Switzerland, two citizens of Iran, one person with unidentified citizenship and eight citizens of Republic of Mali. The list includes family members of Russian oligarch Vladimir Potanin.

Among the citizens of Mali who have been sanctioned are Kidal Ahmed Ag Albachar, President of the Humanitarian Commission of the Bureau of Regional Administration and Management, Mahri Sidi Amar Ben Daha, Deputy Head of Regional Coordination Staff of the Operational Coordination Mechanism in Gao, MP Mohamed Ould Mataly, and Sheikh Mohamed Ousmane Ag Mohamedoune.

At the same time, the sanctions against the citizens of Mali were introduced until August 31 of this year and provide for the blocking of assets, the suspension of transit and the issuance of visas, and for the remaining 32 persons - for ten years and also provide for the complete cessation of trade operations, the annulment of licenses and contracts, a ban on participation in privatization and land acquisition in Ukraine and technology transfer.

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Ten-year sanctions were also imposed against 60 legal entities, of which eight are Swiss companies, five are French, two are registered in Cyprus, one in the British Virgin Islands, one in the UAE, one in Malta, one in Luxembourg, one in Armenia, one in Germany, one in Spain, one in Taiwan, one in Singapore, and the rest in the Russian Federation. Also, the list includes the so-called "Ministry for Civil Defense, Emergency Situations and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters of the Donetsk People's Republic" created in the occupied part of Donetsk region.

Among the Russian legal entities are the Central Election Commission (CEC) of the Russian Federation, the New People party, the Liberal Democratic Party, Just Russia - Patriots - For Truth, and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. The list also includes the Russian development company VTB-Development, VTB-Project LLC, VB-Service LLC, PJSC Rosbank, JSC Far Eastern Bank, PJSC Tula Plant, Megacom LLC, JSC CityBike, the holding company Interros, the Scientific Research Institute Prometey named after I.V. Gorynin, and JSC Rigel.

The second list on the application and amendments to sanctions includes 322 Russian companies, mainly radio electronics and communications companies. Sanctions against them are also introduced for ten years.