President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed decrees enacting decisions of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine to impose sanctions on Russian judges, and to extend sanctions against Russian companies that were due to expire.
The sanctions package includes 41 judges, of whom 38 are Russian citizens and three are collaborators. They issued unlawful prison sentences against prisoners of war and support and justify Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
In particular, the sanctions include a Russian judge who, within a week, handed down sentences to nine Ukrainian prisoners of war in fabricated terrorism cases. Ukraine also imposed sanctions on former Ukrainians who, in temporarily occupied Donetsk, sentenced volunteers to death – two British citizens and one Moroccan – who had defended Ukraine as part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and were captured by Russia. Among the sanctioned judges are also those who issued unlawful rulings against public figures, activists, and journalists for their political and religious beliefs.
“Sanctions against the so-called ‘judges’ who mass-produce politically motivated sentences against our citizens and our warriors are a matter of justice. It is especially disgraceful to see among them former Ukrainians who consciously became collaborators and turned the courts into instruments of repression,” said Advisor – Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Sanctions Policy Vladyslav Vlasiuk.
The Head of State also signed a decree extending sanctions against 11 Russian companies that were due to expire. The first sanctions against them were introduced in 2021 and 2023. During this time, three companies from that list have been completely liquidated, which once again demonstrates the importance of sanctions.
This package includes: a company engaged in the repair and maintenance of aviation equipment, including Ka- and Mi-type helicopters; a company specializing in the development and production of drones; as well as companies that illegally operate in the temporarily occupied Crimean Peninsula and were involved in the construction of the Crimean Bridge.
Ukraine will share all relevant information with its partners for further synchronization within their jurisdictions.