Ukraine to sanction 20 more Russian oligarchs

Ukraine will add 20 Russian oligarchs to its sanctions list after the European Union removed Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov from its list, LRT reported, citing Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

Sybiha called the EU decision outrageous and said Ukraine’s response would be asymmetrical. He said Kyiv had prepared a list of more than 20 Russian oligarchs and would also seek to have Fridman and Usmanov sanctioned again. The president has approved adding 20 oligarchs, and the process of formalising the decision is under way, he said.

Ukraine is also seeking national sanctions against the two men in individual countries. Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan and Australia have confirmed they will not remove them from their sanctions lists, Sybiha said.

On September 22, the EU Council extended restrictive measures for 36 months, until September 22, 2029, against people responsible for violating or threatening Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence. Fridman and Usmanov were removed from the list. Ukraine also plans to propose new EU sanctions against oligarchs linked to Russia’s defence and industrial sectors.