Ukraine recently added twenty Russian cultural figures to its sanctions list. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed orders blocking these Russian celebrities for ten years. The restrictions hit ballet dancer Nikolai Tsiskaridze, musician Alexander Rosenbaum, film director Yegor Konchalovsky, singers Garik Sukachev and Yaroslav Dronov, actress Irina Apeksimova, and cat trainer Yuri Kuklachev. These sanctions mean the Russians lose Ukrainian awards and cannot access their assets in Ukraine.
The penalties also prevent them from doing business in Ukraine, buying land there, or creating media content. A separate order from Zelensky also enforced sanctions against thirty-nine Russian scientists and businesspeople. The Russian Foreign Ministry quickly responded to these Ukrainian decisions. Their spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, criticized the Ukrainian leader harshly on Telegram.
She called Zelensky a "bloody clown" who targeted "a kind and beloved clown who brings joy to children." This referred to Kuklachev, the famous cat trainer, included on the list. The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine recommended these actions as part of ongoing tensions between the countries.
The penalties also prevent them from doing business in Ukraine, buying land there, or creating media content. A separate order from Zelensky also enforced sanctions against thirty-nine Russian scientists and businesspeople. The Russian Foreign Ministry quickly responded to these Ukrainian decisions. Their spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, criticized the Ukrainian leader harshly on Telegram.
She called Zelensky a "bloody clown" who targeted "a kind and beloved clown who brings joy to children." This referred to Kuklachev, the famous cat trainer, included on the list. The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine recommended these actions as part of ongoing tensions between the countries.
