Ukraine Russia Online: Three more ships loaded with grain leave Ukraine – SME

Important The European Union imposed sanctions on former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his son Oleksandr. The reason for this is the accusations of participation in threatening the security of Ukraine. The Council of the EU stated in the announcement that it added the Yanukovychs to the list of persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictive measures introduced in response to the unjustified and unprovoked Russian military aggression against Ukraine. The sanctions mean a ban on the issuance of EU visas and the freezing of their assets in the Union. Yanukovych and his son play a role “in disrupting or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, as well as its stability and security,” the statement says. Sanctions against Oleksandr Yanukovych they also concern financial transactions with separatist groups in the Donbass in eastern Ukraine. The pro-Russian Yanukovych has been president since 2010, and was deposed during protests in 2014 when he refused to sign an association agreement with the EU. He fled to Russia and was sentenced in absentia to 13 years in prison for treason in his native country. The sanctions document published on Thursday in the Official Journal of the EU accuses Yanukovych of planning to return to power if Russia succeeds in overthrowing President Volodymyr Zelensky during the invasion of Ukraine. (TASR)