Ukraine sanctions 44 over Russian vote in occupied territory

President Volodymyr Zelensky brought a sanctions decision against 44 people into force by decree on 26 September. Ukraine’s presidential office says they were involved in holding Russian State Duma elections in occupied Ukrainian territory. The decision was taken by Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council on 17 September. [1] [2]

The presidential office says those targeted acted in Russia’s interests in occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, as well as Crimea and Sevastopol. It names Iryna Kuksenkova and former Ukrainian deputy Yurii Onyshchuk among them, and says some of the 44 had previously held seats on local councils established in occupied territory. [2]

Voting for the State Duma ran from 18 to 20 September and included Ukrainian territory annexed by Russia. [5] Ukraine says the vote and its results have no legal standing. Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the UK also condemned the elections in occupied territory as a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and the UN Charter. [2] [3]