Ukraine sanctions Putin's relatives, more Russian oligarchs after sham referendums

by The Kyiv Independent news desk October 1, 2022 12:47 PM 1 min read

This audio is created with AI assistance

The National Security and Defense Council has imposed new sanctions on over 3,600 individuals and entities. The list includes Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's children, Russia's military command, officials, artists, and propagandists, as well as Moscow-installed in Donbas and Crimea.

"People involved in waging an aggressive war against Ukraine or who support Putin's regime must clearly understand that punishment will be inevitable," said Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.

Ukraine also introduced sanctions on key Russian companies and banks.

Putin announced that Russia is annexing Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson oblasts during a ceremony in the Grand Kremlin Palace on Sept. 30. Russia lays claim to the whole of four oblasts that its forces only partly occupy.

The Kyiv Independent news desk

We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.Read more

News Feed

10:45 PM

Russia aims to make 'some progress' during upcoming talks in Saudi Arabia.

Russian senator Grigory Karasin, who will lead Moscow’s delegation, told local Zvezda TV that he and FSB advisor Sergey Beseda would enter the negotiations with a "combative and constructive" approach.

11:39 PM

(Updated: March 22, 2025 10:33 pm)

Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia kills 3, injures 16.

Russia attacked the city of Zaporizhzhia on the evening of March 21, killing three people, regional governor Ivan Fedorov reported. The rescue operation concluded at around 1:00 a.m. local time.

9:20 PM

Russia uses propaganda narratives to undermine peace talks, shift blame to Ukraine, ISW says.

The Kremlin has revived familiar narratives portraying Ukraine as the aggressor and acting under Western influence, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

7:46 PM

Russia blames ‘unfriendly state’ for 2024 Crocus Hall terrorist attack.

Svetlana Petrenko, a representative of the Russian Investigative Committee, claimed the attack aimed to "destabilize the situation in Russia."

6:50 PM

War analysis

'No high expectations' — Ukrainian officials skeptical about upcoming Riyadh talks

6:03 PM

New Putin's decree to help forcibly Russify Ukrainians, British intelligence says.

The decree mandated that Ukrainian citizens "illegally" staying in Russia must obtain Russian documents of leave before Sept. 10. The intelligence added that Russia "erroneously and illegally" defines both occupied and unoccupied Ukrainian territory in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia oblasts, as well as Crimea, as part of Russia.

5:02 PM

Trump & Russia

'They are Russian-speaking, and there have been referendums,' — Witkoff parrots Russian propaganda, legitimizing Putin's claims in Ukraine

2:13 PM

Voice of America journalists sue Trump administration following president's order to gut free press.

The lawsuit comes after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to stop funding for U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).

12:22 PM

Ukrainian reporter-turned-soldier killed on front lines.

"You had other plans for your life. You wanted to make movies and write books," his mother, Tetiana Shybalova, wrote. "You'd worked and studied for it. But you found it impossible to hide and not accept the challenge."

4:20 PM

(Updated: March 22, 2025 11:02 am)

Putin's 'ceasefire' — Is Russia still attacking Ukraine?

10:58 AM

6 killed, 38 injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine over past day.

"Russia has once again killed a 14-year-old child in Zaporizhzhia with a Shakhed. Russia must stop all strikes," wrote President's Office Head Andriy Yermak on March 22.

9:25 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 902,010 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022.

The number includes 1,210 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

6:34 AM

97,994 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine identified by media investigation.

The confirmed death toll now includes 23,700 volunteers, 16,000 recruited prisoners, and 11,200 mobilized soldiers, according to the media outlets. Over 4,800 officers have also been confirmed to have been killed.

4:44 AM

UK to host additional military planning sessions on Ukraine next week.

The U.K. will host three more days of military planning sessions next week to prepare high-level plans on mobilizing a European-led "coalition of the willing" in the event of a ceasefire in Ukraine, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Office said on March 21.

2:58 AM

Trump's envoy Witkoff claims Ukraine will hold presidential elections.

Ukraine has not held elections during Russia's full-scale war because they are prohibited under martial law, which was declared on Feb. 24, 2022.

1:31 AM

Incoming IOC president plans talks on Russia’s possible Olympic reinstatement, media reports.

In an interview with Sky News, Kirsty Coventry, the newly elected president of the International Olympic Committee, questioned why Russia remains singled out while conflicts continue in other regions.

10:35 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Kavkazskaya oil facility still burning; Ukraine returns over 4,000 POWs from Russian captivity since 2022

10:15 PM

Investigations

As Ukraine peace talks continue, pro-Russians in Europe are demonstrating to ‘stop Zelensky’

9:52 PM

Ukraine has brought back over 4,000 prisoners of war from Russian captivity since start of full-scale invasion, Zelensky says.

"Now, when we talk to the American side and our other partners about how to end the war, we talk about the release of prisoners as one of the first steps," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

8:50 PM

Zelensky, Pavel meet in Kyiv to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the war with Russia and European efforts to provide security guarantees for Ukraine during the meeting with his Czech counterpart Petr Pavel in Kyiv on March 21.

8:40 PM

War analysis

Why Trump’s Ukraine plan will fail to drive a wedge between Russia, China

8:13 PM

Trump says 'dividing up lands' within negotiations between Russia, Ukraine 'is being negotiated as we speak.'

"Pretty soon, we'll have a full ceasefire, and then we're going to have a contract," U.S. President Donald Trump said during a press briefing, adding that the future deal includes "dividing up the lands."

7:10 PM

Video

We tried to buy US chips as a Russian company. Here's what happened.

The Kyiv Independent's Alisa Yurchenko went undercover as a representative of a Russian defense manufacturer to try buying American chips through Russian suppliers. Our investigation reveals how China helps Russia obtain the Western weapon components through gray import schemes.

6:21 PM

Lithuania ready to deploy troops as part of post-ceasefire mission to Ukraine, Nauseda says.

"My country is ready to provide the necessary support," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told Bloomberg Television.

5:57 PM

Ukraine won't interact with Russia during talks in Saudi Arabia on March 24, Foreign Ministry says.

Ukraine does not know what format the U.S. will use to negotiate with Russia in Riyadh, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said.

MORE NEWS