Zelensky slaps sanctions on war propagandists, Russian shadow fleet
President Volodymyr Zelensky signed decrees imposing new sanctions on pro-Kremlin propagandists and the Russian shadow fleet on April 11.
The decrees put into effect a decision made earlier by Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council. Zelensky teased the sanctions announcement in his evening address on April 10.
The sanctions lists include 71 people and 18 outlets spreading Russian propaganda. Fifty-nine more people are on the list targeting the so-called shadow fleet, a network of ships that Moscow allegedly uses to circumvent Western sanctions and continue exporting oil and gas.
The latter list includes two Chinese captains of the shadow fleet.
"We are increasing pressure on war propagandists and those who justify Russia," Zelensky said, adding that more sanctions are expected soon.
The sanctioned entities are subject to an array of economic and civil penalties, including asset freezes, restrictions on trade operations, prohibitions on property acquisition, licensure terminations, transit bans, and prohibitions on media dissemination, among others.
Among the listed propagandists is Artem Marchevskyi, a Ukrainian media manager who used to work at one of pro-Kremlin oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk's TV channels. Marchevskyi fled Ukraine, while Medvedchuk was arrested and later sent to Russia in a prisoner exchange.
The two were accused by the Czech authorities of running a Moscow-paid propaganda network, Voice of Europe, from Prague. Last spring, the EU sanctioned Marchevskyi, Medvedchuk and the Voice of Europe site, reportedly used by the two men to spread pro-Russian propaganda in Europe.
Zelensky also imposed sanctions against the "Drugaya Ukraina" ("Another Ukraine") political project, led by Medvedchuk in Russia.
Ukraine's sanctions also targeted Russian war propagandists Aleksandr Sladkov, Daniil Bezsonov and Stanislav Smagin. Among the sanctioned propaganda outlets are EurAsia Daily, Readovka, and Pravda.ru.
Yurii Bardash, a Ukraine-born notorious producer and musician who fled to Russia after the outbreak of the full-scale war, is also listed on the decree. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) suspects him of spreading war propaganda and justifying Moscow's aggression.
In late January, Zelensky slapped sanctions on Ukrainian politicians who had spread Russian narratives for years, local media personalities said to be parroting Russian propaganda, and suspected Russian collaborators.
Read also: 'Don't come, there's nothing good here' — Chinese soldiers warn against following Russian propaganda to fight in Ukraine
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