Ukraine sanctions 10 Russian athletes following petition from skeleton racer Heraskevych
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on 16 February enacting a decision of the National Security and Defence Council regarding sanctions against 10 Russian athletes whom Kyiv considers to be complicit in supporting Russia's aggression.
Source: Office of the President of Ukraine
Details: The President's Office said the sanctions package is based on a petition by Vladyslav Heraskevych, a Ukrainian skeleton racer and member of the national Olympic team.
The Office reported that the list includes athletes who, among other things, have visited the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts and Crimea, publicly justified Russian aggression and raised funds for the Russian armed forces.
Quote from Zelenskyy: "This Ukrainian sanctions package should send a signal to others in the world – a signal that it is not acceptable to simply turn a blind eye to support for aggression. When Ukrainians at the Olympic Games are prohibited from even mentioning those who were killed due to Russian aggression, that is clearly a global rollback of justice. We will restore justice."
Background:
- On 15 February, Zelenskyy reported that Kyiv was preparing a new sanctions package targeting Russians who "work for the war and put sport at the service of war".
- Heraskevych was disqualified from the 2026 Winter Olympic Games over his "helmet of remembrance" featuring 20 Ukrainian athletes who were killed due to Russia's aggression.
- He has been awarded the Order of Freedom by Zelenskyy.
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