Zelenskyy imposes sanctions on former press secretary Mendel
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a decree sanctioning his former press secretary Yuliia Mendel for spreading disinformation, part of a wider package that also targets Russia's shadow fleet and Rostec-linked firms.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on 13 September enacting a National Security and Defence Council decision to impose personal sanctions on several individuals, including his former press secretary, 40-year-old Yuliia Mendel.
In total, Zelenskyy signed three decrees. One targets 20 vessels that Russia uses in its shadow fleet to export oil, oil products and liquefied gas. A second imposes sanctions on 29 Russian citizens and 29 companies linked to the Russian state corporation Rostec, including firms involved in supply chains for high-precision industrial equipment, electronics and components used in missile and drone production, as well as research organisations and an educational institution that trains personnel for companies belonging to the Kalashnikov concern.
Sanctions for propaganda
The third decree restricts 10 Russian and Ukrainian individuals accused of spreading disinformation and supporting Russia's aggressive policy toward Ukraine. Mendel is among them. Ukraine says it will share the information with partners to help synchronise sanctions across other jurisdictions.
The sanctions follow an interview Mendel gave in May 2026 to former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, in which she claimed the Ukrainian delegation at the spring 2022 Istanbul talks was ready to accept all of Russia's demands to end the war, citing conversations with unnamed individuals. She also accused Zelenskyy of money laundering and drug use in nightclubs, and claimed that Andrii Yermak, former head of the President's Office, performs magic rituals, including visiting cemeteries and using so-called "dead water". She described Yermak as a dangerous person and said she feared for her life, but provided no evidence to support her claims.
