Twenty-seven officials are on the sanctions list / Photo from UNIAN

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has enacted sanctions imposed by the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine on former President Viktor Yanukovych, former Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, and other high-ranking officials.

This is stipulated in presidential decree No.151/2021 of April 9, 2021.

"The decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine of March 19, 2021, on the application and amendment of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions) shall become effective," the document says.

The decree shall come into force from the date of its publication; its fulfilment shall be monitored by the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.

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On the sanctions list are 27 individuals:

  • Ex-Prime Minister Mykola Azarov;
  • "Minister of Internal Affairs of Crimea" when Russia began the occupation of the peninsula Sergey Abisov;
  • Self-proclaimed head of the "Crimean government" Sergey Aksenov (also spelled as Aksyonov);
  • Ex-Member of Parliament from the then Party of Regions Oleksandr Bobkov;
  • Ex-head of the Public Security Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Valery Hrytsai;
  • Russian politician Konstantin Zatulin;
  • Ex-head of the Sevastopol-based department of the SBU Security Service of Ukraine Petro Zyma;
  • Andriy Ivantsov;
  • Head of the Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Oleh Kyrylin;
  • Ex-Member of Parliament from the Party of Regions Vadym Kolesnichenko;
  • "Chairman of the State Council of Crimea" when Russia began the occupation of the peninsula Vladimir Konstantinov;
  • Businessman Serhiy Kurchenko;
  • Deputy Commander of the then Berkut regiment Serhiy Kusyuk;
  • Ex-Minister of Defense Pavlo Lebedev;
  • "Head" of the Russian occupation administration of the "Luhansk People's Republic" ("LPR") Leonid Pasichnyk;
  • Chief of the occupying Russian "Ministry of Internal Affairs" in Sevastopol Alexander Poddubov;
  • "Ex-prosecutor" of the Russian-occupied Crimea Natalia Poklonskaya;
  • Ex-Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka;
  • Ex-Minister of Defense Dmytro Salamatin;
  • Ex-Governor of the National Bank Ihor Sorkin;
  • Ex-Minister of Education Dmytro Tabachnyk;
  • Mykola Tkachenko;
  • Ex-Deputy Chief of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Mykola Fedoryan;
  • Mykola Fiskov;
  • Director of the State Department of Surplus Property and Land Oleksandr Cherpytsky;
  • Olha Chichelimova;
  • Ex-president Viktor Yanukovych.

The sanctions against the abovementioned individuals will be in effect indefinitely.

NSDC sanctions against Yanukovych and Azarov

  • At a meeting on March 19, 2021, the National Security and Defense Council imposed sanctions on former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka, Education Minister Dmytro Tabachnyk, and other senior officials.
  • Sanctions were also imposed on 19 mining companies.
  • In addition, the National Security and Defense Council decided on the launch of an audit of all permits for mining, which have been issued since 1994.