Ukraine Sanctions Five Russian Rusal Aluminum Enterprises

President Volodymyr Zelensky has enacted a National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) decision imposing sanctions on five enterprises of the Russian aluminum company Rusal and nine associated Russian citizens. The sanctions target Russia’s largest aluminum production sites, including the Bratsk, Sayanogorsk, and Krasnoyarsk plants. According to a report by the Economic Security Council of Ukraine (ESCU) titled “Salt of the Earth,” these facilities are the primary importers of alumina into Russia.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Between April 2024 and March 2025, these three plants imported over $2.5 billion worth of raw materials for aluminum production. In total, Rusal-affiliated structures control 93% of all Russian alumina imports. ESCU analysts stated that the aluminum produced by these facilities is supplied directly to companies operating within the Russian military-industrial complex. The material and its alloys are critical for manufacturing military aviation, missiles, armored vehicles, cable systems, and components for rocket fuel and explosives. Olena Yurchenko, ESCU director of analytics and investigations, stated that the Russian defense sector relies heavily on raw material supply chains rather than just final assembly plants. “Therefore, strategic minerals should become a separate direction of sanctions policy: restrictions must cover importers, processing enterprises, traders, logistics companies, and other key links,” Yurchenko said, adding that this approach allows for targeting the entire military-industrial complex. Other Topics of Interest Shopping Mall Tragedy: Two Children Among Nine Missing After Kryvyi Rih Mall Strike Kills 16 Rescuers searched through the night for nine people, including two children, after Russia’s deadly strike on a Kryvyi Rih shopping mall. Recent sanctions on stolen grain exports The newly announced measures follow an Aug. 14 decree in which Zelensky enacted sanctions against 13 cargo vessels, 11 Russian nationals, and 28 companies involved in the illegal export of looted Ukrainian grain from occupied territories. Eight of the sanctioned ships were sailing under the Russian flag. Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the presidential commissioner for sanctions policy, stated that Ukraine intends to share information with international partners to synchronize the restrictions across jurisdictions and prevent the grain from entering foreign markets. Zelensky framed the grain sanctions as part of a broader strategy to limit Russia’s capacity to sustain its war effort, which includes ongoing strikes on military logistics and oil refineries in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov regions. The president had previously noted that Kyiv was preparing new sanctions against Russia’s military industry and financial intermediaries. The move aligns with the EU’s 21st sanctions package adopted on July 23, which included 218 listings targeting individuals and entities involved in the war effort. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.