Zelensky imposes sanctions on high-ranking associates of Yanukovych

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has imposed sanctions on four officials and businessmen. The decree was published on the Ukrainian leader's website.

“To put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine of April 12, 2025 “On the application of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions),” it says.

The following were subject to sanctions for ten years:

• Serhiy Arbuzov is a former acting Prime Minister of Ukraine (January-February 2014), First Deputy Prime Minister in the government of Mykola Azarov (from December 24, 2012 to January 28, 2014), and former head of the NATIONAL BANK of Ukraine (2010-2013);
• Andriy Klyuyev is a former secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (2012–2014), former head of the presidential administration of Ukraine under Viktor Yanukovych (January–February 2014);
• Viktor Polischuk is the former owner of the Eldorado home appliance chain, one of the largest shopping malls in Kyiv, Gulliver, and the bankrupt Mikhailovsky Bank;
• Alena Shevtsova is a co-owner of IBOX Bank and the founder of Leo Financial Company.

Their assets will be frozen and they will also be effectively unable to conduct economic activity in the country.

As RBC Ukraine reminds, in the fall of 2017, the Shevchenkivskyi District COURT of Kyiv arrested the property of the Gulliver shopping mall in connection with the embezzlement case at Mykhailovsky Bank. Last summer, the court transferred it to the management of the National Agency for Identification and Management of Assets Obtained through Corruption (ARMA). During a public auction, Millennium BC LLC was chosen as the manager of the shopping mall in Kyiv, offering a reward of 0.15%. However, in January of this year, ARMA rejected the company's offer, considering, in particular, the reward to be abnormally low. Hromadske found out that the winner of the auction has ties to the former owner of the shopping mall, Polischuk.

The day before, Zelensky announced sanctions against a number of Russian citizens, in particular, Ukrainian music producer, founder of the bands Quest Pistols and Griby Yuri Bardash, who received a Russian passport, Russian war correspondents Alexander Sladkov, Stanislav Smagin, Andrey Rudenko. The restrictions also affected TV presenter Arina Sharapova, Ukrainian journalist Alexander Shelest (the Russian Ministry of Justice added him to the register of foreign agents), the News Media holding (Life publications, Mash and Shot TELEGRAM channels), and others.

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