The companies have thus been officially branded by Ukraine as “helpers to the war” and subject to sanctions such as the confiscation of assets. This emerges from a decree by President Zelenskyj, which was published on Saturday.
The Austrian Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) has long been criticized for its involvement in Russia. The Russian subsidiary of Bank Austria parent UniCredit was managed from Vienna until 2016. RBI and UniCredit Austria are the largest banks in Austria after Erste Group.
Property confiscated for national defense
A total of 182 companies and three people are affected. They are charged with transporting personnel and military equipment by rail on behalf of the aggressor state. The confiscated available assets will benefit national defense, said Selenskyj in his video message on Saturday evening. Belarusian companies are also on the list published in the evening.
Ukraine is working to ensure that other states block company assets. At the same time, Zelenskyy thanked “everyone who is helping to strengthen sanctions against Russia” and those investigators who uncovered and prosecuted Russia’s evasion of sanctions.
Zelenskyj demands delivery of long-range missiles
In addition, according to Selenskyj, Ukraine needs long-range missiles. Zelenskyy said that Kyiv wanted to forestall Russian attacks on Ukrainian settlements and civilians. Ukraine needs US-made ATACMS missiles with a range of around 300 kilometers. Washington has so far refused to supply such weapons to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned of a “constant bidding war” for weapons systems. The question of combat aircraft does not even arise. “If, as soon as a decision has been made, the next debate starts in Germany, it doesn’t seem serious and shakes the confidence of the citizens in state decisions,” emphasized Scholz, referring to the recent decision to deliver battle tanks to Kyiv.
He reiterated: “A German chancellor who takes his oath of office seriously must do everything to ensure that Russia’s war against Ukraine does not turn into a war between Russia and NATO.” He would “not allow such an escalation”. He again emphasized that it was a war between Russia and Ukraine – even if Germany supported Ukraine with financial and humanitarian aid as well as weapons.
Russia accuses Ukraine of shelling hospital
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry accused the Ukrainian armed forces of targeting a hospital in the Luhansk region – it was a “serious war crime by the Kiev regime”. The ministry in Moscow announced yesterday evening – around ten hours after the alleged incident – that the hospital in Nowoaydar had been fired upon by a US HIMARS multiple rocket launcher.
14 people were killed and 24 patients and clinic staff were injured. Those responsible would be found and held accountable, the statement said on Saturday. The information could not be independently verified. The ministry released neither videos nor photos of the impact, which is said to have happened early in the morning. Only Russian state television published non-verifiable images on Saturday evening that showed a destroyed building. A board with the opening hours of the clinic was also displayed. No people or ambulances were seen in the video footage.
There was no reaction from Ukraine to the allegations. Russia has largely occupied the Luhansk region, which is why Ukrainian forces are trying to liberate the region with the help of Western weapons.
