Zelensky Sanctions Russian Commanders Behind Missile Strikes on Ukrainian Cities

President Volodymyr Zelensky has enacted a new sanctions package targeting Russian military commanders accused of carrying out missile attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure, as well as ships linked to Russia’s military logistics network.

According to decrees published Saturday, sanctions were imposed on 127 Russian military personnel connected to strikes involving cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and aerial bombs used throughout the full-scale war.

The sanctions target commanders of Russia’s long-range aviation units who, according to Ukrainian authorities, launched more than 4,100 air-based cruise and aeroballistic missiles, including Kh-101, Kh-55, Kh-555, Kh-22, Kh-32 and Kinzhal missiles.

Ukrainian officials said those commanders were linked to strikes on the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv on July 8, 2024, and a missile attack on a residential building in Ternopil on Nov. 19, 2025, which killed 38 people, including eight children.

The sanctions package also includes commanders of Russian missile and artillery units accused of launching more than 1,100 Iskander-K cruise missiles and Iskander-M ballistic missiles against targets across Ukraine.

According to Ukrainian authorities, those strikes included the attack on the village of Hroza in October 2023 that killed 59 people, missile strikes on central Sumy that left 35 dead, including two teenagers, and the April 2024 strike on central Chernihiv that killed 18 people and injured 78 others.

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Another sanctions package approved by Zelensky targeted 29 civilian cargo vessels allegedly used to transport weapons, ammunition, military equipment and Russian troops for Moscow’s war effort.

Ukrainian officials said most of the ships are already under sanctions by the US, the EU and the UK, while Kyiv plans to coordinate additional restrictions with international partners.