Ukraine: Imposition of sanctions against 2,500 individuals cited as ‘Putin’s people’– Ivan Savvidis on the list

Ivan Savvidis is on a list of 2,500 individuals, mostly businesspeople and bankers, that the Ukrainian government considers as “Putin’s people”, the reason for the latest imposition of strict economic sanctions on them. Kyiv, in fact, calls on the European Union to impose the same sanctions.

The measures foresee, among others, the confiscation of assets, prohibition against any business activity and investment — all aimed at the group of individuals deemed as “Putin’s people”.

One of those individuals is well-known for his business activity in Greece, namely, Ivan Savvidis, whose relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin have repeatedly been the subject of international press scrutiny, in the wake of the war in Ukraine. Moreover, even more attention fell on Savvidis after he was personally thanked by the head of the pro-Russian autonomists in the Donbass region for the donation of vehicles and generators.

Sanctions against 2,507 in Putin’s ‘circle’

Ukrainian mass media this week widely reported the decision by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to apply the decision by the country’s national security and defense council against the specific individuals.

International press reports added that the decision, which also affects 1,374 corporate entities, primarily Russian companies, came amid a wave of missile and UAV attacks against Ukrainian targets, an escalation of warfare attributed to a decision by Putin.

The same reports emphasize that the decisions taken by the Kyiv government instruct the country’s foreign affairs ministry to brief relevant authorities in the EU and US, as well as other countries, in order to apply the specific sanctions and to consider similar restrictions against those on the Ukrainian list.

Besides Savvidis, other prominent “names” on the list include Roman Abramovich, Alisher Usmanov, Vladimir Potanin, Putin’s daughter, Yekaterina Tikhonova, along with politicians, public figures, top military officers and companies. Additionally, several companies registered in Belarus are also on the sanctions list.

Sanctions on Savvidis for 10 years

Specifically, the official document stipulating an expansion of the sanctions, with an implementation date listed on the Ukrainian president’s order as of Oct. 19, 2022 (number 727/2022), describes Savvidis as follows:

«Savvidi Ivan Ignatovich (Savvidy Ivan Ignatievich, Savvidi Ivan), born on March 27, 1959, a citizen of the Russian Federation and the Hellenic Republic (Greece), according to information based on the unified state registrar of taxpayers in the Russian Federation».

The following restrictive measures have been imposed against him for 10 years:

1. Seizure of assets – temporary deprivation of the right to use and dispose of assets, which belong to an individual or legal entity, as well as assets in relation to which the individual can directly or indirectly (through other individuals or legal entities) take actions that are identical to in terms of content by exercising the right to dispose of them.
2. Restriction of commercial activities (complete termination).
3. Restriction, partial or complete suspension of the transit of resources, flights and transportation through the territory of Ukraine (complete suspension).
4. Prevention of the removal of capital from Ukraine.
5. Suspension of economic and financial obligations.
6. Cancellation or suspension of licenses for which such licenses are necessary to exercise a specific type of profession, especially the cancellation or suspension of special licenses for underlying earth use.
7. Prohibition of participation in privatizations, leasing of state property by residents of a foreign state and persons directly or indirectly controlled by residents of a foreign state, or acting in their interest.
8. Prohibition or restriction of entry of foreign civilian ships and warships into Ukraine’s territorial waters, internal waterways and ports, as well as aircraft into Ukraine’s airspace or landing in Ukrainian territory (complete prohibition).
9. A ban on issuing permits and licenses by the National Bank of Ukraine for investments in a foreign country, placement of currency values in accounts and deposits in the territory of a foreign country.
10. Suspension of the issuance of permits, import permits into Ukraine from a foreign country, or export of currency values from Ukraine and restriction of cash withdrawals for payment cards issued by residents of a foreign country.
11. Prohibition of the transfer of technology, rights to objects of intellectual property rights.
12. Deprivation of state awards of Ukraine, and other forms of recognition.
13. prohibition of land ownership.