Zelenskyy imposed sanctions against asset looters from temporarily occupied territories and 15 heads of Russian museums
Kyiv • UNN
President Zelenskyy imposed sanctions against 62 individuals and organizations involved in the theft of grain and minerals from occupied territories.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy imposed sanctions against 62 individuals and legal entities involved in the export of grain stolen from occupied territories, illegal mining and enrichment of minerals, and 15 heads of Russian museums who organize the appropriation of Ukrainian cultural values, UNN reports.
Details
Zelenskyy signed two decrees on the imposition of sanctions.
As explained by the President's Commissioner for Sanctions Policy, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, decree No. 579/2025 concerns the "Asset Thieves from TOT" package, which covers 62 individuals and legal entities involved in the export of grain stolen from occupied territories, illegal mining and enrichment of minerals, as well as captains of Russia's "grain" shadow fleet.
For example, Captain Vyacheslav Vidanov exported over 35,000 tons of Ukrainian wheat from Sevastopol to Yemen. And "Dnipro-Rudne Iron Ore Combine" (TOT Zaporizhzhia region) was created on the basis of illegally expropriated assets and is developing Ukrainian iron ore deposits
The second decree, No. 580/2025, concerns "Museum Workers" and includes 15 heads of Russian museums who organize the appropriation of Ukrainian cultural values, hold exhibitions glorifying Russian aggression, and try to integrate captured Ukrainian museums into the Russian system.
For example, Yulia Kupina, director of the Russian Ethnographic Museum, opened the exhibition "Multinational Russia" in occupied Berdiansk, which included exhibits from Ukrainian museums. Two of the figures in the package — Artem Silkin and Halyna Alekseeva — are running for leadership positions in the International Council of Museums (ICOM), and their presence there is absolutely unacceptable
Recall
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, by his decree, enacted the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of July 20, 2025, on the application of personal sanctions.
As of July 21, Russian aggression has led to damage to 1528 cultural heritage sites and 2359 cultural infrastructure objects in Ukraine.
In the temporarily occupied territories, Russians forced students to attend celebrations to reinforce the narrative of Russia as the cradle of Slavic peoples.