Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed new sanctions against russia

The President announced this in a statement on 20 August.

“Today, I also signed decrees imposing new sanctions — several packages. These are directed against the russian military-industrial complex, and against those individuals who have, in one way or another, become part of the russian way of life and maintain ties with that state despite this war. These include collaborators in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, as well as former Ukrainian officials who are now somewhere in Europe, but who, through their documents, connections and in their hearts, remain in russia,” said Zelenskyy.

The President also stated that Ukraine will coordinate sanctions within Ukrainian jurisdiction with those of its partners.

The Office of the President clarified that Zelenskyy had signed four sanctions decrees – No. 744/2026, No. 745/2026, No. 746/2026 and No. 747/2026. These target enterprises within the russian military-industrial complex and the non-ferrous metals sector, senior russian officials, collaborators, as well as the creators and distributors of the animated series ‘Masha and the Bear’.

One of the decisions imposes sanctions on 28 russian citizens, 36 russian companies and one Chinese company. Among them are enterprises involved in the supply, in circumvention of sanctions, of high-precision industrial equipment, tools and components, electronics and raw materials. The list also includes companies that manufacture and repair military and specialised equipment, conduct research into unmanned aerial vehicles, and develop specialised equipment and software for russian security forces.

A separate package covers five companies within the Rusal group and nine russian citizens associated with these companies. According to the Office of the President, these include importers of alumina and aluminium producers serving the needs of the russian defence-industrial complex. These enterprises also obtain raw materials in circumvention of sanctions and supply products for the manufacture of military equipment, rocket and artillery weapons, and military aircraft.

In a further decision, sanctions were imposed on 45 individuals and eight legal entities. The list includes high-ranking russian officials who justify and promote russia’s war against Ukraine and the occupation of Ukrainian territories, as well as individuals and organisations collaborating with the russian federation in the temporarily occupied territories.

In particular, Yuriy Ivanyushchenko, a former MP from the ‘Party of Regions’, has been sanctioned. The Office of the President noted that he is a suspect in criminal proceedings concerning the legalisation of land plots worth over 160 million hryvnias. Companies linked to him operate in occupied Crimea, and Ivanyushchenko himself, according to the Office of the President, maintains ties with representatives of russia’s criminal and business circles and has visited the russian federation on multiple occasions since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Separate sanctions have been imposed on five russian citizens and four organisations involved in the creation and distribution of the animated series ‘Masha and the Bear’. The Office of the President stated that the series promotes pro-russian narratives disguised as children’s content.

The sanctions list includes, in particular, the ‘Animaccord’ studio, which created the cartoon series, its founder and chief executive, as well as the screenwriter, director and producer – a co-author of the series – and the owner of the rights to the cartoon.

Vladislav Vlasyuk, the President’s adviser on sanctions policy, stated that Ukraine is counting on its partners to support these restrictions and on European companies to cease cooperation with russian enterprises, in particular those belonging to the Rusal group. According to him, the sanctions are intended to deprive the russian military-industrial complex of resources and international ties.

In accordance with the decisions of the National Security and Defence Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to inform the European Union, the US and other states about the restrictions imposed and raise the issue of them introducing similar sanctions. Decree No. 744/2026 brings into force the NSDC’s decision of 12 August, whilst Decrees Nos. 745/2026, 746/2026 and 747/2026 implement the decisions of 20 August. All four decrees come into force on the day of their publication.

Source: Suspilne