On May 1, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy enacted the decisions of the National Security and Defense Council regarding a number of individuals and legal entities. Among them are those involved in the Trap Aggressor investigations: Vladimir Lisin and his Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant (NLMK), Leonid Mikhelson and his gas companies Novatek, Yamal LNG, and Arctic LNG, as well as Alexei Likhachev, head of Rosatom. The relevant decrees were published on the website of the President’s Office.

NLMK: the steel rear of the Russian army

Novolipetsky Metallurgical Plant is one of the largest steel producers in Russia, owned by Vladimir Lisin. The enterprise supplied raw materials for the defense complex: in particular, Mariysky Machine-Building Plant, NPO Elektromashina, Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant Kupol, and others. NLMK steel was used in the production of radar systems, machine gun modules, and even nuclear weapons components. Lisin himself is a billionaire with estates in France and a Scottish castle who has evaded Western sanctions for years. Ukraine has become one of the few countries to impose restrictions on him.

Novatek Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG 2: Mikhelson’s gas profits

Leonid Mikhelson is a co-owner of Novatek and Sibur, close to Putin and his entourage. His companies have made multi-billion dollar profits since the start of the full-scale invasion, buying up the assets of Western companies. In particular, Novatek took over Shell’s stake in Sakhalin-2 and TotalEnergies’ stake in Ternaftogaz. Through the Muzhestvo Fund, the company finances Russian military personnel fighting in Ukraine. And the Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG 2 projects provide gas to the Russian Ministry of Defense. Mikhelson remains outside the sanctions of the US and EU, although he should have been under Western restrictions long ago.

Likhachev and Rosatom: profits instead of punishment

Alexey Likhachev, CEO of the state holding company Rosatom, heads a company that unites 360 enterprises in the Russian nuclear industry. Through its “daughter” in the Netherlands, Uranium One, Rosatom continues to receive hundreds of millions of euros in profits that go to the Russian budget. At the same time, the corporation contributes to the war crimes of the Russian Federation. Despite this, Rosatom is still not under EU sanctions. Ukraine has sent a signal: the Kremlin’s nuclear monopoly must be held accountable.

Ukraine continues to limit the influence of Russian businesses related to the Russian defense and energy industries. The new sanctions are a logical continuation of the course of countering war financing and strengthening economic pressure on the aggressor. To learn more about how Russia is building raw material autonomy for continuing the war, read the Trap Aggressor investigation.