Ukraine: Kiev Introduces Sanctions On Russian Firms, Officials

Ukraine introduced new sanctions and extended existing measures against 105 Russian companies and 388 Russian officials on Sept. 16, Tass and RFE/RL reported. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said the order was a response to the decision by the self-declared “people’s republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk to hold local elections on Oct. 18 and Nov. 1, respectively, rather than on Oct. 25 like local elections across the rest of Ukraine, as stipulated by the Minsk peace agreement. Among those included in the sanctions list were several Russian airlines, including Aeroflot, banks, and charities. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and numerous other senior leaders, along with several foreign journalists, also face sanctions. Russian State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin said dialogue with Kiev would continue, despite the move. Low energy prices and economic sanctions are taking their toll on the Russian economy, so much so that the Kremlin is putting sanctions relief at the forefront of next year's policy agenda.