You're reading: Russia imposes sanctions against Poroshenko, Vakarchuk, lawmakers

The Russian government on Aug. 31 expanded the list of Ukrainians subject to its special economic sanctions.

It now includes Ukraine’s former President Petro Poroshenko, rockstar and former Voice party leader Svyatoslav Vakarchuk and 39 other Ukrainian lawmakers and officials.

Under the sanctions, the Russian government will freeze their non-cash funds, property and undocumented securities in Russia. The sanctioned persons will also be banned from withdrawing capital from the country.

The Russian government published the resolution with the new list of names on Sept. 4.

The largest number of sanctioned lawmakers is part of the 19-member Voice party. They include the party leader Kira Rudik, members Yaroslav Zhelezniak, Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, Serhiy Rakhmanin, Solomiia Bobrovska and 12 others.

“For me, the inclusion of 17 Voice lawmakers in the sanctions lists of the occupying country is a telltale assessment of our activities against the aggressor. We will continue to work in full force to stop Russia and restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity,” Rudik said in the party’s statement.

Besides its leader Poroshenko, the sanctioned list now also includes eight members of the 27-member European Solidarity party. Newly targeted lawmakers include Mykhailo Zabrodskyi, Yana Zinkevych, Sofiya Fedyna and Akhtem Chiygoz, the Deputy Head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People.

“I got into Russia’s sanctions list. I can be proud of myself,” Zinkevych, founder of Ukraine’s Hospitaliery medical volunteer battalion, said on Facebook.

Russia also imposed sanctions against other individuals affiliated with European Solidarity: Stepan Kubiv, the First Deputy Prime Minister under Poroshenko and Iryna Lutsenko, a former European Solidarity lawmaker and wife of former General Prosecutor Ihor Lutsenko.

11 members of the 24-member Batkivshschyna party are also on the list. The new additions are Serhii Taruta, Valentyn Nalyvaichenko and Mykhailo Volynets. Independent lawmaker Viktoria Hryb also made it to the list. 

“Late last night I learned about the honor of being on the list of those who obstruct the aggressor here, in Ukraine, from pursuing its policy,” Volynets, a former miners’ trade union leader, said on Facebook.