18 Russian Officials Added to Sanctions

Summary#

These final regulations add 18 named Russian officials to the list of people subject to Canada’s sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations. The measures (registered on February 28, 2022 and published in the Canada Gazette on March 16, 2022) impose a broad ban on dealings with those listed people.

What it does#

• Adds 18 individuals to Schedule 1 of the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations, which brings them under Canada’s asset-freeze / dealings ban.
• Prohibits people in Canada and Canadians abroad from dealing in the property of, doing transactions with, or otherwise making goods or services available to the newly listed people.
• Says the rules apply from the day they were registered (so they could take effect before the Canada Gazette publication).
• Requires financial institutions and others to add the new names to screening lists (they will appear on the Consolidated Canadian Autonomous Sanctions List).
• Notes enforcement is handled by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canada Border Services Agency, and penalties can include fines up to $25,000 (summary conviction) or imprisonment up to 1 year, or on indictment imprisonment up to 5 years.

The 18 people added are:

• Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN
• Sergei Kuzhugetovich SHOIGU
• Sergei Viktorovich LAVROV
• Konstantin Anatolyevich CHUYCHENKO
• Anton Germanovich SILUANOV
• Anton Eduardovich VAINO
• Mikhail Vladimirovich MISHUSTIN
• Vladimir Alexandrovich KOLOKOLTSEV
• Alexander Dmitryevich BEGLOV
• Dmitry Anatolyevich MEDVEDEV
• Yury Yakovlevich CHAIKA
• Alexander Vladimirovich GUTSAN
• Igor Anatolyevich KOMAROV
• Anatoly Anatolyevich SERYSHEV
• Sergei Semyonovich SOBYANIN
• Yury Petrovich TRUTNEV
• Vladimir Vladimirovich YAKUSHEV
• Vladimir Ivanovich BULAVIN

Who's affected#

• The 18 listed Russian officials named above.
• Financial institutions and compliance teams in Canada, which must update screening systems and block prohibited transactions.
• Businesses or people in Canada (or Canadians abroad) who might otherwise do business with or provide services to the listed individuals. They will need permits from Global Affairs Canada to carry out any otherwise-prohibited activity.
• Most Canadians and Canadian businesses are unlikely to feel direct effects, because the regulations target specific people and the government expects limited links between those individuals and Canada.

Why it matters#

• The measures freeze assets and block commercial or financial dealings with senior Russian officials. That can prevent those individuals from using any property or funds they hold in Canada.
• This action is part of a coordinated international response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It is intended to increase pressure on Russia by targeting senior figures.
• For ordinary Canadians, the practical impact is mainly indirect: banks and businesses must screen for these names and refuse prohibited transactions, and the move signals Canada’s foreign-policy position.