The meeting of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine chaired by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took place. The parties discussed a number of important issues in the military, energy and state security spheres.
The members of the National Security and Defense Council heard reports from Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Ruslan Khomchak, Head of the Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Colonel Kyrylo Budanov and Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine Lieutenant General Valerii Kondratiuk. Decisions made at the meeting are classified as "secret" and therefore cannot be disclosed.
The participants spoke in detail about the field of energy security, namely the adoption of measures to protect the property interests of the state.
By the decision of the National Security and Defense Council, which was enacted by Decree of the President of Ukraine of May 28, 2015 № 298, the Cabinet of Ministers was commissioned to take the necessary measures to preserve and use a part of oil pipelines with a total length of 1433 km passing through the territory of Ukraine.
In particular, the Cabinet of Ministers had to immediately designate a central executive body responsible for the preservation and operation of a part of oil pipelines, and take measures to ensure the protection of the economic interests of the state. However, in more than five years, the government has failed to adequately protect the property interests of the state and to prove in the courts of various instances the right of the state of Ukraine to own and use a part of oil pipelines. As a result, state property was in the hands of two owners with foreign registration, but affiliated with two citizens of Ukraine.
Having considered this issue, the National Security and Defense Council decided to take urgent measures to return the state property to the people of Ukraine. Law enforcement agencies are also tasked with investigating the circumstances under which state property fell into private hands.
The decision of the National Security and Defense Council also imposed sanctions on 8 individuals and 19 legal entities, including companies that own five aircraft. Sanctions are also applied to companies maintaining these aircraft.
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov added that the sanctions were imposed on companies registered in a number of countries, including Russia and Moldova.
He also said that sanctions had been imposed on five Russian and three Ukrainian citizens, including Viktor Medvedchuk and his wife Oksana Marchenko.
"Today, the Security Service of Ukraine investigates criminal proceedings under part 5 of article 258 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - financing of terrorism. According to this article, sanctions were imposed on Mrs. Marchenko, all relevant persons listed, as well as Mr. Medvedchuk,” the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council explained.
It bears reminding that on September 2, 2015, the National Security and Defense Council adopted a decision imposing sanctions on certain Russian air carriers. On October 25, 2015, the government completely suspended direct flights between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, and from 00:00, November 26, 2015, a ban on flights in the Ukrainian airspace was introduced for all Russian airlines without exception.
The planes on which sanctions were imposed had flown in violation of Ukrainian regulations. The decision of the National Security and Defense Council corrected this situation.