Zelensky slaps personal sanctions on ex-chief of staff Andriy Bohdan

Key Points:

• President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on May 2 imposing sanctions on Andriy Bohdan, his former head of the Presidential Office, blocking his assets, restricting travel, and terminating licenses among other penalties.
• The sanctions also target four others, including Ukrainian businessman Bohdan Pukish and Russian sports officials, citing threats to Ukraine's national interests, security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
• The decree comes amid heightened scrutiny of Zelensky's administration following leaked conversations suggesting corruption involving top officials, including former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Presidential Office Head Andriy Yermak.
• Bohdan, a controversial figure due to his past role in the Yanukovych-era government and legal ineligibility under lustration laws, served as Zelensky's legal adviser before leading the Presidential Office, where he clashed with Yermak and faced investigations into offshore credit scams.
• The legality of imposing sanctions on Ukrainian citizens like Bohdan is debated, as current legislation allows sanctions only against foreign nationals or individuals involved in terrorism.