The Office of the President is preparing sanctions against the owner of "Ukrainska Pravda," – Times

The Office of the President is preparing sanctions against the owner of "Ukrainska Pravda," – Times

The British publication Times has confirmed information spread by the media that the Office of the President of Ukraine is developing a plan to impose sanctions against the owner of "Ukrainska Pravda" Tomash Fiala and his investment company Dragon Capital, which owns the media outlet.

According to the Times, citing European diplomats, the sanctions are expected to affect Dragon Capital. This decision is linked to the scandal surrounding Deputy Prime Minister Chernyshov, which was actively covered by "Ukrainska Pravda". At the end of June, Zelenskyy imposed sanctions against Fiala’s business partner, which, according to the media, served as the “last warning” to the owner of the publication himself.

The publication suggests that the sanctions may lead to a forced buyout of the "Ukrainska Pravda" website by individuals close to the government due to a funding deficit.

A diplomat from one of the G7 countries reported that negotiations on sanctions against Dragon Capital are currently taking place behind closed doors. Meanwhile, presidential advisor Dmytro Lytvyn denied any plans for sanctions against Dragon Capital, stating that he "is not interested in the activities of media owned by this owner."

The editor-in-chief of "Ukrainska Pravda" Sevgil Musayeva and Tomash Fiala himself declined to comment. However, Fiala, in an interview with the Times, accused the Ukrainian government of attempting to restrict independent media.

According to Musayeva, the authorities are calling advertisers of "Ukrainska Pravda" demanding they refuse to place ads, which has led to a decline in the website’s revenue. In response, "Ukrainska Pravda" plans to introduce paid access to content starting in October.

Earlier, the media reported intentions to impose sanctions against Fiala and Dragon Capital. However, it remains an open question whether these plans remain in place following the weakening of Zelenskyy’s political position amid the reduction of the NABU’s (National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine) powers.