--- title: "Zelensky imposes sanctions on former press secretary Yulia Mendel and nine Russian citizens" description: "Zelensky signed Decree No. 901/2026 imposing personal sanctions on former press secretary Yulia Mendel and nine Russian citizens. The restrictions take effect for ten years, with some measures applying indefinitely." date: 2026-09-13T17:10:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/zelensky-sanctions-against-mendel-and-nine-russians tags: [ukraine-sanctions, yulia-mendel, snbo, zelensky, russia-citizens, sbu] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Zelensky imposes sanctions on former press secretary Yulia Mendel and nine Russian citizens ![Yulia Mendel, former press secretary sanctioned by Zelensky, in front of the Office of the President of Ukraine sign](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/13/sankcii-protiv-mendel-i-devyati-rossiyan/sankcii-protiv-mendel-i-devyati-rossiyan-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - The President signed Decree No. 901/2026, bringing into force the NSDC decision of 13 September 2026 on personal sanctions against ten individuals. - The only Ukrainian citizen on the list is former presidential press secretary Yulia Mendel; access to her Instagram, X, and Facebook pages from Ukrainian territory is additionally restricted. - Nine of those listed are Russian citizens: Larina, Liberman, Malik, Mineev, Plotnikov, Rezepkin, Rumyantseva, Sambulova, and Strunkin. - The sanctions take effect for ten years, while some measures (including the deprivation of state awards) apply indefinitely; the SBU was the initiator. Ukraine has brought into force a decision by the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) to apply personal sanctions against ten individuals. Among those listed is former presidential press secretary Yulia Mendel and nine citizens of the Russian Federation. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing Decree No. 901/2026, published on the website of the Office of the President. ### The decree and the NSDC decision The President signed a decree bringing into force the National Security and Defense Council's decision of 13 September 2026 on the application of personal sanctions. The restrictions were proposed by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and will remain in effect for ten years, although certain measures — including the deprivation of state awards — apply indefinitely. ### List of restrictions According to the outlet, the full set of restrictions was applied to most of those listed: blocking of assets, a ban on trade operations, prevention of capital outflows, a ban on entry into Ukraine, and other measures provided for by the Law "On Sanctions." For Yulia Mendel, the only Ukrainian citizen on the list, an additional measure is provided — restricting access from Ukrainian territory to her pages on the social networks Instagram, X, and Facebook. ### Yulia Mendel: from press secretary to the sanctions list Yulia Mendel held the post of press secretary to President Volodymyr Zelensky from June 2019 to July 2021. After leaving office, she worked as a columnist and commented on Ukrainian politics for foreign media. This year, Mendel became the center of a scandal following an interview with Tucker Carlson, in which she spoke sharply about Zelensky, calling him "emotionally unmanageable." ### Nine Russian citizens The remaining nine individuals are citizens of the Russian Federation. The sanctions list includes Svetlana Larina, Isabella Liberman, Diana Malik, Alexander Mineev, Aleksey Plotnikov, Oleg Rezepkin, Mariya Rumyantseva, Sofia Sambulova, and Evgeny Strunkin. ### Context The imposition of personal sanctions on a former senior official of the Office of the President, against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict with Russia, underscores the expanding practice of using sanctioning tools both against foreign citizens and against Ukrainian figures linked to high-profile public statements. The decision was initiated by the SBU and formalized by a presidential decree, which gives the measures a binding legal character. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Zelensky signs decree on sanctions against former spokesperson Yulia Mendel](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/zelenskiy-pidpisav-ukaz-sanktsiyi-proti-eksrechnitsi-1789319313.html) - Указ №901/2026, решение СНБО от 13 сентября, инициатива СБУ, срок 10 лет, часть мер бессрочно, полный перечень ограничений, доп. ограничение соцсетей для Мендель. - [Strike on the former and the foreign: NSDC imposes total sanctions on former press secretary Mendel and nine ...](https://from-ua.org/news/703997-udar-po-byvsim-i-cuzim-snbo-vvel-totalnye-sankcii-protiv-eks-press-sekretaria-mendel-i-deviati-rossiian.html) - Подтверждает состав из 10 лиц (Мендель + 9 граждан РФ) и характер ограничений. - [Zelensky imposes sanctions on Yulia Mendel](https://korrespondent.net/ukraine/4911364-zelenskyi-vvel-sanktsyy-protyv-yulyy-mendel) - Подтверждает факт подписания указа и введение санкций против Мендель. - [Zelensky imposes sanctions on his former press secretary Mendel](https://tsn.ua/ru/politika/zelenskiy-vvel-sanktsii-protiv-svoego-byvshego-press-sekretarya-mendel-3167705.html) - Подтверждает статус Мендель как бывшего пресс-секретаря и факт санкций. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Who was subjected to sanctions under Decree No. 901/2026? **A:** Ten individuals: former presidential press secretary Yulia Mendel and nine Russian citizens — Svetlana Larina, Isabella Liberman, Diana Malik, Alexander Mineev, Aleksey Plotnikov, Oleg Rezepkin, Mariya Rumyantseva, Sofia Sambulova, and Evgeny Strunkin. ### Q: How long do the sanctions last, and who proposed them? **A:** The restrictions were proposed by the Security Service of Ukraine and take effect for ten years, while some measures, including the deprivation of state awards, apply indefinitely. ### Q: What additional measures were applied to Yulia Mendel? **A:** In addition to the standard list of restrictions, access from Ukrainian territory to her pages on the social networks Instagram, X, and Facebook is restricted.