Canada hits Putin’s close allies hard with new sanctions: Who’s listed
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney (Photo: Getty Images)
Canada has announced a new round of sanctions targeting Russian individuals, companies, and vessels that help the Kremlin skirt oil restrictions, according to the official Canadian government website.
On June 17, the Canadian government stepped up its pressure on Russia.
The imposed restrictions primarily target individuals from Putin’s inner circle.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said during talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the G7 summit that Canada was announcing several measures that day, primarily sanctions targeting a number of individuals in Russia, as well as more than 40 organizations within Russia and beyond.
Thus, the new Canadian restrictions affect a range of individuals, legal entities, and vessels from the so-called shadow fleet that transport oil at inflated prices.
Who was sanctioned
The new sanctions list includes 44 individuals, among them:
- Lyudmila Ocheretnaya — Vladimir Putin’s ex-wife;
- Artur Ocheretny — Lyudmila’s current husband;
- Mikhail Shelomov — Putin’s nephew;
- Valery Gergiev — renowned Russian conductor and vocal supporter of the regime;
- Tatyana Yumasheva — daughter of Russia’s first president, Boris Yeltsin;
- Valentin Yumashev — her husband;
- Anatoly Chubais — former head of Rosnano and one of the architects of the 1990s reforms;
- Natalia Kasperskaya — head of the company InfoWatch;
- Irina Viner — former head coach of the Russian national rhythmic gymnastics team;
- Karin Kneissl — former Austrian foreign minister known for her pro-Russian views.
Why this matters
This is the first time that Putin’s ex-wife has officially been targeted by international sanctions. The new package aims to pressure not only Russia’s military-political leadership but also the close circle around the dictator, including family members and loyal foreign supporters.
Restrictions against the shadow fleet
Canada has also imposed restrictions on vessels that help Russia circumvent the oil embargo — the so-called shadow fleet, which transports energy resources at artificially inflated prices.
The new sanctions package aims to strengthen Russia’s financial isolation and make it harder to fund the war against Ukraine.
The G7 leaders failed to convince Trump to tighten sanctions on Russia. According to him, the sanctions cost the US a huge amount of money.
Furthermore, US President Donald Trump stated that he has his deadline in mind for when to impose sanctions on Russia.
