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Ukraine’s Zelensky enacts decision on sanctions against Russian companies, media

In total, the sanctions affected 82 companies

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky EPA-EFE/STEPHANIE LECOCQ

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky

© EPA-EFE/STEPHANIE LECOCQ

KIEV, March 24. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky enacted the decision of the National Security and Defense Council to impose sanctions against a number of Russian companies and media, including Rosgosstrakh, Rossiya Segodnya and TASS. The order was published at the Presidential Administration website Tuesday.

"I order to enact the March 23, 2021, National Security and Defense Council decision ‘on implementation, cancellation and amendment of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions)," the presidential order reads.

Other media on the list include Lenta.ru and Gazeta.ru.

In total, the sanctions affected 82 companies. The restrictive measures include blocking their assets, ending trade operations, banning withdrawal of their financial assets from Ukraine, freezing their economic and financial liabilities and annulling licenses and other permissions.

Among the sanctions-hit Russian citizens are First Deputy Interior Minister Alexander Gorovoy and several other ministry officials and Federation Council (upper house of the Russian parliament) members Lyudmila Narusova, Oleg Tsepkin, Irina Rukavishnikova and Alexander Karlin. Besides, Ukraine blacklisted European Parliament members representing France: Virginie Joron, Jean-Lin Lacapelle and Philippe Olivier. The three MPs visited the Russian region of Crimea, where they oversaw the vote on amendments to the Russian Constitution.

The decree comes into force at the moment of its publication.

Ukraine began imposing sanctions against Russia in spring 2014 over Crimea’s reunification with Russia and the beginning of a conflict in Donbass. The presidential order, signed by then-president Pyotr Poroshenko, provides for 20 types of sanctions, including cessation of energy resources transit. Since then, trade restrictions have been in effect against Russia, and on September 16, 2015, Ukraine came up with a sanctions list against 388 Russian citizens and 105 companies, which has been repeatedly extended since then.

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