Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
On 12 April, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Decree No. 231/2025, which enacted the decision of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine (NSDC) to impose personal sanctions on four former high-ranking officials and businessmen. This was reported on the official website of the President.
They were sanctioned:
– former Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine Serhiy Arbuzov;
– Serhiy Kliuyev, former MP and ally of Viktor Yanukovych;
– Viktor Polishchuk, former owner of the Gulliver shopping mall and Eldorado chain of stores;
– Alyona Shevtsova, shareholder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Ibox Bank.
The NSDC supported the initiative of the Security Service of Ukraine to impose sanctions on these individuals. The restrictions include the deprivation of state awards, asset freezes, a ban on conducting any economic activity in Ukraine and other prohibitions.
The NSDC Secretary Oleksandr Lytvynenko is in charge of monitoring the implementation of the decision. The sanctions come into force on the day the decree is published.
Who is subject to sanctions
Serhiy Arbuzov served as Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine from 2012 to 2014. In 2022, his name appeared on a list of individuals who, according to the UK, had links to Russian intelligence services.
Serhiy Kliuyev was the first Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine from 2010 to 2012 and Chief of Staff to former President Viktor Yanukovych. In 2022, he was also placed on the UK sanctions list for alleged links to Russia.
Viktor Polishchuk is a businessman, owner of the Eldorado chain of stores and former owner of Mykhailivskyi Bank, which went bankrupt in 2016.
Alyona Shevtsova is a former shareholder of Ibox Bank, which was stripped of its licence in 2023 due to violations of the law. According to Forbes, in 2022, she used her gambling schemes to make the bank one of the ten most profitable financial institutions in Ukraine. The pre-trial investigation into its activities was completed in March 2025.
