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The European Union is moving forward with sanctions against ten Russian nationals connected to the torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war, mistreatment of detainees, and politically motivated persecution of journalists and human rights defenders.
The sanctions list includes officials from the Taganrog pretrial detention center where Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna died while in Russian custody.
Key Figures on Sanctions List
Among those expected to face EU sanctions are:
Andrei Polyakov, head of the Federal Penitentiary Service in Russia’s Rostov region, oversees facilities where Ukrainian prisoners were subjected to beatings, torture, starvation, and denied medical care. Under his supervision at SIZO-2 in Taganrog, conditions led to the death of journalist Viktoria Roshchyna.
Andrei Mykhailychenko and Andrii Sapytskyi, both deputy heads at SIZO-2, allegedly participated in systematic torture. At least 15 detainees reportedly died due to abuse at the facility. Oleksandr Shtod, the facility’s director, is also included for his role in maintaining inhumane conditions.
The list also targets Russian judicial officials involved in politically motivated prosecutions, including Timur Vakhramyev, a judge who issued rulings against Russian journalists and activists, and Artemii Telminov, an investigator who handled cases against associates of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
The Case of Victoria Roshchyna
The 27-year-old journalist disappeared in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories in August 2023. Russia confirmed her presence on its territory in May 2024, but refused for months to provide information about her condition.
Russia eventually reported her death as occurring on September 19, 2024. Ukrainian military intelligence had indicated Roshchyna was on an exchange list and her return had been approved.
The full extent of her treatment in custody became clear in March 2025 when journalists revealed she had been brutally tortured. Her body bore stab wounds, and she weighed less than 30 kilograms at the time of her death.
Ukraine received her body in February 2025, though it was misidentified as an “unidentified male body” and was missing several internal organs. A farewell ceremony was held in Kyiv on August 8.
Sanctions Impact
Once officially adopted, the sanctions will freeze the assets of the ten individuals within EU territory and ban them from entering EU countries.
The move represents the EU’s continued effort to hold accountable those responsible for human rights violations connected to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
