Zelenskyy imposed sanctions against Russian commanders and the shadow fleet
Ukraine has imposed a new package of sanctions against Russian commanders who directed missile strikes on Ukrainian cities, as well as against vessels providing military logistics support to Russia. The decision targets both the direct perpetrators of the attacks and the infrastructure that facilitates the war against Ukraine. This was reported by the press service of the Office of the President of Ukraine and confirmed by relevant decrees issued by the head of state.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has enacted a decision by the National Security and Defense Council to impose sanctions against Russian military commanders directly involved in missile strikes on Ukrainian territory, as well as against vessels of the so-called shadow military-logistics fleet of the Russian Federation.
The first sanctions package includes 127 Russian occupiers, among whom are commanders of long-range aviation units of the Russian Aerospace Forces who used X-101, X-55, X-555, X-22, X-32, and “Kinzhal” missiles during strikes on Ukrainian territory. The sanctions target individuals whom the Ukrainian side links to attacks on critical infrastructure and civilian facilities, including the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv on July 8, 2024, as well as residential buildings and cities across Ukraine, which resulted in numerous civilian casualties.
The list also includes commanders involved in the use of FAB-1500 and FAB-3000 aerial bombs during combat operations in Mariupol in March 2022, which was one of the most destructive phases of the war in its early stages.
Separately, sanctions have been imposed against commanders of the Russian Federation’s ground forces’ missile and artillery units, who carried out over 1,100 attacks using Iskander-K and Iskander-M missiles, which, according to the Ukrainian side, resulted in strikes on civilian infrastructure in various regions of Ukraine.
In particular, the list mentions the tragedies in the village of Groza in the Kharkiv region on October 5, 2023, where 59 people were killed; the strike on the center of Sumy, which claimed 35 lives; and the missile attack on Chernihiv on April 17, 2024, where 18 people were killed and dozens more were wounded.
The second package of sanctions targets 29 civilian merchant vessels which, according to Ukrainian authorities, are being used to transport Russian military cargo, including weapons, ammunition, equipment, and personnel.
Most of these vessels are already subject to restrictions by the U.S., the EU, and the UK, and Ukraine has stated its intention to coordinate sanctions pressure with international partners and expand it further.
Ukraine has rejected the idea of “associated” EU membership without voting rights, which had been discussed in European political circles. Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that such a format is unfair and does not correspond to Ukraine’s role in European security.
The European Union has moved to the practical stage of preparing Montenegro’s accession treaty. The country continues on its path toward EU integration and has declared its intention to become a member by 2028.
Ukraine hopes that the European Union will open all six negotiation chapters on the country’s accession this year and anticipates the possibility of closing at least one of them by the end of the year.
Ukraine may temporarily forgo some of the benefits of EU membership to accelerate the accession process. Taras Kachka noted that such a step would help the country integrate into the EU more quickly.
