The SBU Head Ivan Bakanov commented on results of the meeting of the National Security and Defense Council. The SBU suggested the National Security and Defense Council imposing sanctions on 10 former heads of military, security and law enforcement bodies. The individuals betrayed their oaths and facilitated the occupation of Crimea and Donbas in 2014.

"One of the important steps to protect national security is to bring to justice those who work for the aggressor and betrayed Ukraine. Special attention should be paid not only to ordinary offenders, but also to former heads of state structures. Instead of defending the country, they sided with the aggressor. However, treason has no statute of limitation," Ivan Bakanov stressed.

The said officials included former Minister of Internal Affairs Vitalii Zakharchenko, Commander of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Denys Berezovskyi, SBU Head Oleksandr Yakymenko and others. Earlier, they were suspected of high treason. They are currently wanted, but so far no economic restrictions have been applied to them.

According to the SBU, those individuals were involved in supporting pro-Russian forces and committed actions aimed at strengthening the occupation regime in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and in the temporarily uncontrolled territories of Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

To remind, earlier the National Security and Defense Council imposed sanctions on 8 individuals and 19 legal entities at the SBU suggestion.