President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a decree putting into effect the decision of the National Security and Defense Council to impose sanctions on several Russian propagandists and individuals who sided with the enemy.
The President emphasized the importance of this step, stating:
“The title of Hero of Ukraine is reserved for those who have truly dedicated their lives to the country. We will continue to revoke state awards from those who have betrayed our nation.”
The Center for Countering Disinformation noted that this is not the first decision targeting propagandists and promised that more such actions will follow in the future.
The sanctions list includes 18 Ukrainian and Russian citizens, among them:
- Yevhen Murayev, leader of the banned party “Nashi”;
- Petro Symonenko, leader of the outlawed Communist Party;
- Oleh Voloshyn, former member of parliament;
- Oligarch Kostiantyn Hryhoryshyn;
- Svitlana Kryukova, former deputy editor-in-chief of the publication “Strana”.
These individuals have been permanently stripped of their state awards and titles in Ukraine. Some of them have also had their accounts frozen for 10 years.
One of the most notable decisions was to revoke the title of Hero of Ukraine from Yuriy Boiko, a former holder of one of the country’s highest honors.
Additional Context:
Fighting Russian aggression requires decisive measures, including countering propaganda, which remains one of the Kremlin’s key tools in its hybrid warfare strategy. Learn more about the role of propaganda in Russian aggression in our article: “The Brutality of Russian Forces: New Evidence of International Humanitarian Law Violations”.