President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree enforcing the NSDC decision to impose sanctions on 56 maritime vessels that, between 2022 and 2025, illegally entered Russian-occupied Ukrainian ports and exported Ukrainian food products.
Among these vessels were ships that loaded thousands of tons of stolen Ukrainian wheat, sunflower seeds, and other food products from the closed ports of Russian-occupied Sevastopol and Feodosia and exported them abroad. A significant number of these vessels are already under sanctions from other countries, including the EU, the U.S., and Switzerland.
The ships sailed under flags not only of Russia: 17 of them used flags of other states. Ukraine will work with the relevant countries to halt the issuance of licenses.
Those who conducted these logistics operations prohibited by Ukraine profited financially and paid taxes to the Russian state budget, thereby enabling Russia to fund its war machine.
Ukraine will continue to intensify pressure on Russia in every possible area and closely coordinate its measures with partners to force the aggressor state to end the war it started against Ukraine and its people.
