Eight individuals added to Russia sanctions

Summary#

These final regulations amend the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations to add 8 named individuals to Canada’s Russia sanctions list. The changes took effect on the day they were registered, September 4, 2026, and apply immediately (including before the Canada Gazette publication).

What it does#

• Adds the following people to Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations:
  • Denis Sergeyevich CHERNOBAY (born August 7, 2002)
  • Grigory Alexandrovich GUROV (born October 31, 1985)
  • Vladimir Viktorovich KHROMOV (born August 15, 1977)
  • Alexandra Dmitrievna KULGINA (born February 16, 2001)
  • Aleksandr Vyacheslavovich KURENKOV (born June 2, 1972)
  • Elena Igorevna MILSKAYA (born December 20, 1980)
  • Artur Valeriyevich ORLOV (born March 15, 1989)
  • Vitaliy Aleksandrovich SUK (born March 12, 1970)
• Once listed, the regulations generally:
  • Prohibit people in Canada and Canadians abroad from dealing with the listed persons’ property, making goods or services available to them, or entering into transactions with them.
  • Make the listed persons inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
  • Add their names to Canada’s public sanctions lists (the Consolidated Canadian Autonomous Sanctions List).
• Enforcement and penalties:
  • The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canada Border Services Agency have enforcement roles.
  • A person who knowingly breaks the regulations can face up to $25,000 fine or one year in jail on summary conviction, or up to five years in jail on indictment.
• Permits and exceptions:
  • Limited, case-by-case permits can be granted under the Special Economic Measures Permit Authorization Order, but these are rare.

Who's affected#

• The eight individuals named above.
• Canadians, people in Canada, and Canadian businesses that might have dealings with any of those individuals. Financial institutions must screen and block transactions involving listed persons.
• Government departments that administer or enforce sanctions and immigration rules, including Global Affairs Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and enforcement agencies already mentioned.
• The government says it expects minimal direct impact on most Canadian businesses because the newly listed people appear to have little or no commercial link to Canada.

Why it matters#

• These listings are Canada’s response to Russia’s documented practice of deporting and forcibly transferring Ukrainian children, and related efforts to assimilate or militarize them. The measures are meant to increase pressure on those believed to be involved.
• Sanctions limit a listed person’s ability to use Canadian financial services, access assets in Canada, or travel to Canada. They also signal coordination with allied countries taking similar steps.
• The broader context: Canada says it has sanctioned over 3,500 individuals and entities since 2014 in response to Russia’s actions, and that more than 2,400 Ukrainian children have been returned since 2022 while thousands remain displaced. The government expects these targeted listings to have limited economic fallout for Canadians.