Zelensky imposes sanctions against 189 Russians and founder of Georgian Airways

President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 1 signed a decree imposing sanctions against 189 Russian nationals, two Belarusians, and Tamaz Gaiashvili, the founder of privately-owned Georgian Airways that is now flying to Russia.

Zelensky also imposed sanctions against nearly 300 companies linked to Russia and its war against Ukraine. Almost all of them are Russian companies, including Energia Rocket and Space Corporation, Russia's largest space industry company.

According to the approved proposals on the President's Office website, the sanctions are to last for 10 years.

More than a year into the full-scale war, Russia abolished its four-year-old direct flight ban with Georgia and lifted all visa requirement for Georgian nationals in May.

The controversial Russian initiative allows Georgian Airways to offer Russians transit flights via Tbilisi to other destinations – such as Paris, as many Western countries banned Russian airlines from entering their airspace.

The newly sanctioned individuals include Russia's Pavel Shatskikh, the director of the Kazan plant Elektropribor, a leading Russian aircraft enterprise, as well as Belarus' scientist Aleksei Shkadarevich, the director of LEMT Scientific and Technical Center in Minsk.

Earlier, Zelensky on May 27 signed a decree approving a proposal by the National Security and Defense Council to impose sanctions on 51 people and 220 Russian and Belarusian entities.

The May sanctions targeted a number of plants, such as the Minsk automobile and mechanical plans, the Belarusian aircraft repair plant, and the Russian Karachev "Elektrodetal" plant.