Russian actor and TV presenter Mikhail Galustyan has been added to the War & Sanctions database maintained by the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense. The information was posted on the agency's website, according to infohub.kz.
The database's compilers claim that the artist "systematically supports" Russia's actions in Ukraine. They cited Galustyan's friendship with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, whom they consider an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, as the second reason for his inclusion.
It is noted that in February 2025, the European Union imposed sanctions on Galustyan for actions that Brussels assessed as threatening Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty. The actor called the decision unexpected and criticized European politicians for imposing restrictions on cultural figures. Earlier, in January 2023, Ukraine imposed sanctions on Galustyan for a period of ten years.
In May 2019, Galustyan was added to the Ukrainian website Myrotvorets due to his visit to Crimea after its annexation by Russia in 2014. Other reasons cited included the actor's participation in the military-patriotic movement Yunarmiya and in the Putin Team movement, which supported Putin in the 2018 presidential elections.
In October 2024, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called the Ukrainian website Myrotvorets a "list of intended victims" and a "kill list." She made the comment in response to the inclusion of UN Secretary-General António Guterres in the database.
Earlier it was reported that Russian comedian Mikhail Galustyan visited Dushanbe for the first time and addressed the residents of Tajikistan.