Zelenskyy sanctions former press secretary Mendel

What Happened

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed three presidential decrees on 13 September enacting National Security and Defence Council decisions imposing personal sanctions. The measures target 20 maritime vessels that Russia uses to export oil, oil products and liquefied gas; 29 Russian citizens and 29 Russian companies linked to the Russian state corporation Rostec, including companies involved in supply chains for high-precision industrial equipment, electronics, and components used in missile and drone production, dual-use goods producers, research organisations, an educational institution training personnel for Kalashnikov concern companies, and IT companies developing encryption, data collection and database management software. Another decision imposes restrictions on 10 Russian and Ukrainian individuals who spread disinformation and Russian propaganda and support Russia's aggressive policy towards Ukraine. Among those sanctioned is Yuliia Volodymyrivna Mendel, a 40-year-old Ukrainian citizen and former presidential press secretary. Ukrainska Pravda reported that Ukraine will transmit all the information to its partners for the synchronisation of sanctions in international jurisdictions. The article's background section states that Mendel, in a May 2026 interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, claimed the Ukrainian delegation at the spring 2022 Istanbul talks was prepared to accept all of Russia's demands, accused Zelenskyy of money laundering and taking drugs in nightclubs, and accused Andrii Yermak, former head of the President's Office, of performing magic rituals; Mendel provided no details to substantiate her claims, according to the article.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The sanctions aim to disrupt Russia's ability to finance its invasion through shadow-fleet oil exports and to degrade its missile and drone production by cutting access to high-precision components and dual-use goods. Simultaneously targeting Ukrainian citizens who spread pro-Russian narratives signals Kyiv's effort to police internal information space during wartime. Synchronising these designations with international partners could multiply pressure on Russia's military-industrial complex and its sanctions-evasion networks.

Watch For

Watch for whether Ukraine's international partners adopt parallel sanctions on the 20 shadow-fleet vessels, the 29 Russian citizens/companies, and the 10 disinformation actors, and whether Russia responds or attempts to evade the measures. Also monitor any legal challenge or public response from Yuliia Mendel and enforcement of asset freezes against sanctioned individuals and entities.