NSDC sanctions against Syrian president and shelling of Donetsk Oblast: today's highlights

NSDC sanctions against Syrian President

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has imposed National Security and Defense Council sanctions against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Iranian military leaders, and hundreds of Russian citizens. The new list of sanctioned individuals includes 300 people. Most of the list is made up of Russians.

The sanctions also include Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Bagheri Mohammad Hossein, Brigadier General Saeed Aghajani, commander of the UAV Corps of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Forces, head of the Research and Self-Sufficient Jihadist Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Abdollah Mehrabi, and others.

Shelling of Donetsk Oblast

Russian troops once again shelled Donetsk Oblast. Donetsk regional prosecutor's office reported two dead and 8 wounded in Kramatorsk. The exact number of victims is still being established.

Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, said that Russians shelled the city with cluster munitions, hitting Bernatskyi Park and the funeral service. According to preliminary information, a dozen residential buildings and several cars were damaged.

Reports of Putin's arrival in Crimea

Russian media reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in occupied Crimea after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him.

On the ninth anniversary of the illegal “referendum” in Crimea and the occupation of the peninsula, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine noted that the liberation of all the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine is only a matter of time.

Rotations in the ministries

Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal said that the ministers of education and strategic industries will be replaced next week. A new position and expanded scope of work are being prepared for the head of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov.

Thus, the following events are planned for next week:

·       dismissal of Minister of Education and Science Serhii Shkarlet;

·       appointment of Oksen Lisovyi as Minister of Education and Science;

·       dismissal of Minister of Strategic Industries Pavlo Riabikin;

·       appointment of Oleksandr Kamyshyn as Minister of Strategic Industries.

In addition, Mykhailo Fedorov, who currently holds the position of Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, will be responsible for several areas other than digitalization. His future position will be Vice Prime Minister for Innovation, Education, Science and Technology Development and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, Shmyhal said.

Briefly about other news:

• Iryna Vereshchuk, head of the Ministry for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, called on Russia to provide lists of deported Ukrainian children;
• Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine Epiphanius called on the brethren of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra to facilitate the process of liberation “from the Moscow yoke” and assured them that they would be protected from intimidation by the current head of the Lavra;
• The court imprisoned four Russian soldiers who were captured during the fighting at the Bakhmut and Vuhledar directions. One of the defendants was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and the other three to 12 years;
• The Security Service of Ukraine's White Wolves special forces unit destroyed 11 targets – 10 Russian tanks and one armored personnel carrier – in one night;
• The National Bank of Ukraine obliged banks to identify and document information on the ties between clients and their counterparties and Russia.