President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree imposing new sanctions on pro-Russian politicians and propagandists, he announced on Jan. 19.
"We are blocking propagandists working for Russia, people who have gone over to the enemy's side, and those who help Russia continue the war," Zelensky said in a video address posted on Facebook.
The decree puts into effect a decision made earlier by Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council.
Eighteen people were listed on the formal decree. Among them are prominent pro-Russian politicians Yuriy Boyko, Nestor Shufrych, and Yevhen Muraiev.
Zelensky also noted that the country is working to deprive pro-Russian figures of state awards, specifically mentioning the Hero of Ukraine title.
Last month, Ukraine's parliament voted to request that Zelensky to strip the Hero of Ukraine award from parliamentary member Yuriy Boyko. Boyko had days earlier repeated Russian propaganda talking points on social media about "radicals" controlling the streets in Ukraine.
Boyko previously led the former pro-Russian political party Opposition Platform — For Life, which was banned by the Supreme Court following Russia's full-scale invasion.
He was awarded the title Hero of Ukraine in 2004 during his tenure as head of Ukraine's state-owned oil and gas company Naftogaz.
"There are still many names in the request for the revocation of awards," lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said after the parliamentary vote.
Shufrych was arrested last year on charges of subversive activities against Ukraine and financing Russia's National Guard in occupied Crimea. According to the investigation, Shufrych paid Russia's National Guard for guarding his elite real estate in Crimea, illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
Muraiev, former leader of the now-banned pro-Russian Nashi party, was charged with treason in 2023. The Security Service noted that Muraiev used his media empire, including the Nash TV channel, to disseminate pro-Russian narratives.
Shortly before the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the U.K. Foreign Office warned that the Kremlin intends to install Muraiev as the head of the Russian puppet regime in Kyiv. Media reports have stated that Muraiev left Ukraine in 2022.
Kateryna Denisova
(Updated: )
