The EU has introduced businessmen Prigozhin and Kurchenko to the

sanctions listEU because of Ukraine. The list makers believe

The European Union has included in the sanctions lists of businessmen Yevgeny Prigozhin and Sergey Kurchenko in the sanctions lists because of Ukraine. This is reported in the Official Journal of the EU.

“The Council of the EU considers that two individuals should be added to the list of persons, organizations and structures <...> subject to restrictive measures, for their role in undermining the territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine and receiving income from Russia’s decisions related to with the annexation of Crimea and the destabilization of Eastern Ukraine,” the statement said.

Describing Kurchenko, the compilers of the sanctions list indicate that he “with the support of pro-Russian separatists” took control of several large metallurgical, chemical and energy plants in the Donbass, and his company Gaz-Alliance monopolized coal mining in the region. it also “benefited from an illegal scheme to EXPORT Donbass coal to RUSSIA and Europe in defiance of EU sanctions” through Russian ports, supplied fuel to Crimea and helped other companies circumvent sanctions restrictions, the document says.

Yevgeny Prigozhin was included in the list as a person who has "close ties" with President Vladimir Putin and the Ministry of Defense, according to an appendix to the document. He was also called the "sponsor and unofficial head" of Wagner PMC. Prigozhin himself has previously repeatedly denied any connection with the Wagner PMC.

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After the start of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine , the United States placed Prigozhin on the sanctions list for "supporting President [Vladimir] Putin in his brutal invasion of Ukraine." However, the entrepreneur has previously appeared on US sanctions lists. For example, since December 2016, he has been under US sanctions on charges of interfering in US elections. In July 2020, the US Treasury included Prigozhin on another sanctions list, and five companies, according to Washington, were used by him to circumvent the sanctions. Also, after the start of a special military operation in Ukraine, New Zealand and CANADA imposed sanctions against Prigozhin.

In March 2017, in response to the transport blockade of the Donbass by Kyiv, the authorities of the DPR and LPR introduced external management at Ukrainian enterprises in the Donbass. Large coal mines and metallurgical plants, which previously belonged to Rinat Akhmetov's DTEK and Metinvest, came under the control of the Vneshtorgservis holding. The partner of this holding is the Gaz-Alliance company, which is responsible for the sale of coal and metal. Both companies are controlled by businessman Sergei Kurchenko, who left for Russia after the resignation of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014.

Since 2018, Gaz-Alliance has been the only coal supplier from Donbass. In December 2019, the company lost its sole supplier status.

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