Zelenskyy imposed sanctions against his former press secretary Yulia Mendel. She is accused of pro-Russian propaganda
The President of Ukraine approved the decision of the National Security and Defense Council to impose personal restrictions against his former official representative. The reason for her inclusion in the sanctions lists, alongside the Russian military-industrial complex, were the public statements of the ex-official, which Kyiv qualified as disinformation and support for Moscow's aggressive policy.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Yulia Mendel
According to the publication «Ukrayinska Pravda», on September 13, Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree, implementing the decisions of the National Security and Defense Council. One of the documents, aimed at individuals justifying Russian aggression, features Ukrainian citizen Yulia Mendel, born in 1986. Along with her, nine other Russian and Ukrainian citizens who spread propaganda and support Russia's actions also fell under the restrictions.
Yulia Mendel served as the press secretary to the President of Ukraine from June 2019 to July 2021. After her dismissal, she made a series of scandalous statements, culminating in an interview with American host Tucker Carlson in May 2026. In it, Mendel, without citing specific evidence, accused Zelenskyy of money laundering and drug use, and the former head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak — of engaging in black magic, visiting cemeteries, and using 'dead water'. She also claimed that in the spring of 2022, during negotiations in Istanbul, the Ukrainian delegation was allegedly ready to agree to all of Russia's demands to end the war.
In addition to personal sanctions against public figures, Zelenskyy's new decrees concern Russian logistics and the military sector. Restrictions have been imposed against 20 sea vessels of Russia's 'shadow fleet', which are used for exporting oil, petroleum products, and liquefied natural gas.
Also included in the sanctions lists are 29 Russian citizens and 29 companies associated with the state corporation «Rostec». Among them are enterprises supplying high-precision equipment and electronics for the production of missiles and drones, scientific research organizations of the military-industrial complex (MIC), and manufacturers of dual-use goods. Separately, IT companies that create software products for data collection and encryption, as well as an educational institution that trains personnel for the Kalashnikov concern, fell under sanctions. Official Kyiv plans to transfer all collected information to Western partners to synchronize sanctions pressure in international jurisdictions.