Zelenskyy ordered the preparation of a sanctions strike against Russia's defense-industrial complex
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting on sanctions against Russia and instructed officials to prepare a plan for a special sanctions operation. According to him, it should significantly restrict the operations of the Russian military-industrial complex and prevent Moscow from quickly adapting to the new restrictions.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the preparation of a new plan to apply sanctions pressure on Russia. The head of state made this announcement following a coordination meeting dedicated to sanctions against Russia for its war against Ukraine.
According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s main task is to prevent Russia from having enough time to adapt to the imposed restrictions. This involves constant monitoring of how Russian industry circumvents sanctions and finds new ways to procure necessary components and technologies. “The most important task is to not give Russia time to adapt to the restrictions,” the president emphasized.
Russian weapons rely on foreign components
During the meeting, the participants also discussed the foreign components used in the production of Russian weapons. Zelenskyy noted that such parts are found in Russian missiles, drones, and other types of weaponry. “We see that every Russian missile, every drone, and most other types of Russian weapons contain critical components from other countries, without which such weapons simply would not exist,” he stated.
According to the president, these supply chains should be one of the targets of further sanctions pressure. This applies not only to direct weapons manufacturers in Russia but also to companies and intermediaries that help the Russian defense industry obtain the necessary goods from abroad.
Russia Uses Western Technology and Equipment
The meeting also addressed the industrial equipment used by Russian enterprises. Zelenskyy drew attention to machine tools and technologies that Russia could not develop on its own to the required standard. “Russia’s use of machine tools and technologies in which Moscow lags behind by a generation and certainly could not have developed on its own,” the president noted, referring to one of the issues that must be taken into account in sanctions policy.
According to him, Ukraine must increase pressure on Russia’s international ties, which allow its industry to gain access to such equipment. This applies both to the supply of finished products and to the schemes through which necessary goods can enter Russia via third countries.
Ukraine is preparing a special sanctions operation
Following the meeting, Zelenskyy instructed officials to prepare a concrete plan for a special sanctions operation. Its goal is to significantly limit the capabilities of the Russian military-industrial complex. “I have instructed officials to prepare a clear plan for a special sanctions operation that should significantly restrict the Russian military industry—specifically targeting certain companies in areas we have identified,” Zelenskyy said.
The president added that each participant in the meeting was given specific tasks. He also stated that he expects them to be fully carried out. Thus, Ukraine plans to focus new sanctions pressure not only on Russian government agencies and enterprises but also on the supply chains through which the Russian military-industrial complex obtains foreign components, equipment, and technologies.
If these links can be significantly curtailed, it could complicate the production of Russian missiles, drones, and other weapons. At the same time, the specific list of companies, sectors, and measures that will be included in the sanctions plan has not yet been made public.
