Sergey Aksyonov
Sergey Aksyonov is a Russian politician who has headed the government of the Republic of Crimea, the Russian-administered peninsula on the Black Sea, since March 2014. He was appointed after pro-Russian forces took control of Crimea in the aftermath of the Euromaidan revolution and the ouster of the peninsula's previous leadership. Earlier in his career he served as a member of the Crimean parliament for the Party of Regions and was active in the Crimean Tatar movement known as the Qurultay. Since 2014 he has been a central figure in the Russian administration of Crimea and has been subject to Western sanctions.
-
EU renews Ukraine-related sanctions for three years, removes Usmanov and Fridman; Azerbaijan's Aliyev pardons French detainee Martin Ryan
On 22 September 2026, the Council of the European Union extended its Ukraine-related sanctions regime by 36 months, until 22 September 2029. At the same time, the EU removed Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the list. The day after, on 23 September, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree pardoning 20 people, including French citizen Martin Ryan, who had been sentenced to ten years in prison for espionage in March 2026. Reports link France's push for Usmanov's delisting to a non-public arrangement with Azerbaijan over French detainees, including Ryan. Ukraine said it was not consulted and called the decision "shameful".