Legal basis The Law of Ukraine "On Sanctions", adopted on August 14, 2014, was introduced as a response to
Russo-Ukrainian War. It provides for the imposition of sanctions on foreign states, legal entities, and individuals who pose a threat to national security. The law does not explicitly authorize the application of sanctions to Ukrainian citizens, creating a legal contradiction with the Constitution of Ukraine. Since 2021, under the
presidency of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the
National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) has actively applied sanctions against its own citizens, often without court rulings, based on intelligence or information provided by the
Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
Contradiction with the Constitution of Ukraine According to the
Constitution of Ukraine: • The rights and freedoms of citizens can be restricted only by law and exclusively under conditions of martial law or a state of emergency (Art. 64). • Deprivation of property, licenses, restrictions on freedom of movement, and other forms of coercion may only be imposed by a court decision (Arts. 41, 55). • The NSDC is a coordinating body under the
President of Ukraine on matters of national security and defense. It does not possess judicial or law enforcement authority (Art. 107). Therefore, the imposition of sanctions on Ukrainian citizens without a court decision is regarded by many legal experts as an unconstitutional form of state coercion. Since these sanctions in Ukraine are imposed without a court decision, they are not recognized by the
Institutions of the European Union, where the rule of law is a core principle. The European legal tradition is based on the rule of law, the presumption of innocence, and criminal procedural safeguards. If citizens are suspected of criminal offenses, appropriate criminal or administrative laws are applied, and cases are handled strictly through the courts. the NSDC imposed sanctions on several prominent figures, including businessmen
Ihor Kolomoisky,
Kostyantyn Zhevago,
Gennadiy Bogolyubov, and former lawmaker
Viktor Medvedchuk. The sanctions included asset freezes, bans on capital withdrawal, and restrictions on participation in privatization and state property leasing. Businessman Kostyantyn Zhevago characterized the sanctions against him as “another episode of persecution by President Zelenskyy.” In a video address on February 12, he emphasized that there was no court decision linking him to threats against national security, territorial integrity, or sovereignty. Zhevago argued that the absence of legal grounds for criminal proceedings made the sanctions absurd. Opposition journalist
Svitlana Kryukova, former deputy editor-in-chief of “
Strana.ua,” was also sanctioned. She expressed her disappointment on social media and announced plans to challenge the sanctions in the Supreme Court, asserting her belief in Ukraine as a lawful state where morality, honor, and law coexist. A month later, her car was reportedly set on fire in Kyiv. On April 11, 2025, President Zelenskyy enacted NSDC sanctions against Ukrainian blogger Oleksandr Shelest and political analyst Vadym Karasiov. Subsequently, on April 17, their YouTube channels were blocked within Ukraine. On May 1, 2025, sanctions were imposed on former presidential adviser
Oleksiy Arestovych, political analyst Kostiantyn Bondarenko, and blogger Myroslav Oleshko. Arestovych described the sanctions against himself and Poroshenko as “a clear echo of the upcoming elections.” In protest, Lieutenant Colonel Roman Kovalyov declined the
Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd class, stating that Arestovych was “a patriot and defender of the Ukrainian people” with “his own vision of Ukraine’s future.” Following Kovalyov’s statement, another soldier, Taras Zadorozhny, renounced his two military awards. On May 9, 2025, Arestovych’s
YouTube channel was blocked in Ukraine at the request of the NSDC. == Criticism ==