Ukraine Strengthens Sanctions Against Russia, Aligning with Japan
President Volodymyr Zelensky has enacted a new round of sanctions targeting individuals and entities linked to Russia’s military and efforts to circumvent existing restrictions. The measures, signed on October 11, mirror recent sanctions imposed by Japan, according to a statement released by the President’s Office.
The latest sanctions package targets eight individuals and 14 legal entities identified as supporting the Russian military machine and facilitating sanctions evasion. This builds upon Ukraine’s ongoing strategy of coordinating economic pressure on moscow with international partners. Japan previously announced its own sanctions package against Russia on September 12.
Since June,Ukraine has implemented eight sanctions packages,synchronizing its measures with those of the United States,Canada,the United Kingdom,Japan,and the European Union.
With this latest action, the total number of individuals sanctioned for ties to Russia’s military-industrial complex, financial institutions, and operations in occupied ukrainian territories reaches 281. A total of 633 legal entities are now also subject to Ukrainian sanctions.
These restrictions specifically target those involved with the Russian military-industrial complex, the Russian financial and banking system, supporting occupation in Ukrainian territories, operating the “shadow fleet” used to evade restrictions, and the abduction of Ukrainian children.
The President’s Office emphasized the importance of international coordination in maximizing the impact of sanctions. “Synchronization of sanctions with partners is of great importance for preventing their circumvention and increasing economic pressure on Russia,” the statement read, adding that Ukraine seeks full synchronization of sanctions across partner jurisdictions.
The sanctions are a key component of Ukraine’s broader effort to isolate Russia economically and diplomatically following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
(Related: NATO aircraft carried out a 12-hour flight near the Russian border on October 9, a joint U.K.-U.S. operation following recent Russian airspace violations targeting several NATO countries.)
