Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed decrees imposing sanctions against the Russian military complex and individuals linked to Russia, including former lawmaker Yuriy Ivanyushchenko.
In a video address, Zelenskyy said he signed several sanction packages targeting the Russian defense industry and individuals who had adopted a Russian lifestyle while maintaining connections with Moscow despite the ongoing war.
The measures, which include Decree No. 746/2026, have been officially published on the website of the President of Ukraine.
Ivanyushchenko, a former member of the Verkhovna Rada representing the now-banned Party of Regions, is currently wanted by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine. The bureau is investigating him over the alleged laundering of state-owned land near Kyiv valued at more than 160 million hryvnias.
Under the presidential decree, sanctions imposed on Ivanyushchenko strip him of all Ukrainian state awards, freeze his assets, and revoke or suspend any licenses and permits required for specific business operations.
The measures also introduce a complete prohibition on transactions involving securities issued by individuals subject to the sanctions.
Investigative Findings and Law Enforcement Requests
An investigation by Radio Free Europe's investigative project Schemes established that Ivanyushchenko obtained a Russian passport in Rostov-on-Don in 2004. Official documents indicate that he holds citizenship in Ukraine, Bulgaria, and the Russian Federation.
According to the investigation, Ivanyushchenko obtained foreign Russian passports on at least two occasions, in 2017 and 2021, which he used for travel to Russia.
In March, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau submitted requests to President Zelenskyy and the Security Service of Ukraine seeking sanctions against Ivanyushchenko, identifying him as a suspect in a fraud case involving land at the Stolychny market.
The Office of the President subsequently forwarded the bureau's request to the Cabinet of Ministers and the Security Service of Ukraine, noting that those bodies possess the authority to initiate sanctions before the National Security and Defense Council, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda.
The Security Service of Ukraine later responded that the bureau's submission did not contain sufficient evidence to show that Ivanyushchenko had harmed national security.
Criminal Investigations and Asset Seizures
Ivanyushchenko, a business partner of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych who is also known by the alias Yura Yenakiyevsky, fled Ukraine following the Revolution of Dignity in 2014.
Ukrainian authorities subsequently placed him on a wanted list in connection with criminal cases involving the misappropriation and embezzlement of property, illicit enrichment, and co-conspiracy to commit crimes.
In 2017, the European Union lifted its sanctions against Ivanyushchenko after criminal proceedings against him in Ukraine were closed, leading to his temporary removal from the wanted list.
The General Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine reopened criminal proceedings against Ivanyushchenko in 2019. In May 2022, Swiss authorities launched formal procedures to confiscate more than 100 million Swiss francs in assets belonging to the former lawmaker.
