Ukraine sanctions former Presidential Adviser Arestovich over pro-Russian propaganda

Ukraine sanctions former Presidential Adviser Arestovich over pro-Russian propaganda

Ukraine has imposed sanctions on seven of its citizens, including high-profile former presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovich, accusing them of promoting pro-Russian narratives and undermining national security.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the decree on Thursday, following a decision by Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council. The sanctions targeted individuals allegedly involved in information operations harmful to Ukraine and supportive of Russian interests amid the ongoing war.

“These people have chosen to align themselves with propaganda that justifies Russia’s war and undermines Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said in a statement accompanying the order.

The measures include the freezing of assets, bans on capital withdrawal from the country, and restrictions on access to social media channels within Ukraine. In Arestovich’s case, he has also been stripped of state honours previously awarded for public service.

Other sanctioned figures include blogger Myroslav Oleshko and political analyst Konstantin Bondarenko, author of Joker, a critical book about President Zelenskyy.

Arestovich, once a trusted voice of the Ukrainian government, rose to national prominence following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Appointed as an adviser to the Presidential Office in 2020, he became a regular face in wartime briefings and commentary. However, his tenure ended in controversy in January 2023 after he claimed, without evidence, that a deadly missile strike in the city of Dnipro was caused by a Ukrainian air defense interception.

The remarks prompted widespread backlash and led to his resignation. Since then, Ukrainian authorities have opened criminal cases against Arestovich, including charges related to incitement of violence and spreading false information.

According to the investigative outlet Ukrainska Pravda, Arestovich left Ukraine in the autumn of 2023 and now resides in the United States. He has denounced the sanctions as politically motivated, accusing the government of silencing dissent.