By RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service
March 24, 2021
Ukraine has placed sanctions on dozens of Russian officials and entities, including businesses and media.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a decree on March 23 targeting 26 foreigners and 81 legal entities, blocking their assets and restricting travel or operations in the country.
The sanctions, announced after a decision by Ukraine’s national security body, also target Russian state-controlled media RT, the TASS news agency, Gazeta.ru, Lenta.ru, and others.
In the case of media, the sanctions also restrict or terminate the use of telecommunications services.
The list of companies targeted include insurance giant Rosgosstrakh and a raft of firms operating in Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.
Among the sanctions-hit Russian citizens are officials in the Interior Ministry, security services, and lawmakers.
The list also includes French members of the European Parliament who visited occupied Crimea in 2020 without permission from Ukrainian authorities.
Kyiv has announced several rounds of sanctions on Russian persons and entities since relations nosedived after Moscow siezed the Crimean region and backed separatists in the east of the country.