President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a decree enacting the National Security and Defense Council’s decision to impose sanctions on 56 maritime vessels that, between 2022 and 2025, illegally entered Ukrainian ports temporarily occupied by Russia and exported Ukrainian food products.
Among them are vessels that loaded thousands of tons of stolen Ukrainian wheat, sunflower seeds, and other food products in the closed ports of Sevastopol and Feodosia – both temporarily occupied by Russia – and transported them abroad. In addition, many of these vessels are already under sanctions imposed by other countries, including the European Union, the United States, and Switzerland.
These vessels sailed not only under the Russian flag: 17 of them operated under the flags of other countries. Ukraine will work with the respective states to stop the issuance of licenses.
The individuals who carried out these logistics operations, which are prohibited by Ukraine, profited financially and paid taxes into the Russian state budget – enabling Russia to finance its war machine.
Ukraine will continue to increase pressure on Russia in every possible domain and will closely synchronize its decisions with partners to compel the aggressor state to end the war it has launched against our country and our people.