Publication Date
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 opened a new chapter in unilateral and multilateral sanctions: the imposition of financial and travel restrictions on businesspeople. This column studies the patterns of this wave of individual sanctions. The authors find that proximity to the ruling regime is the strongest predictor of being targeted for sanctions, followed by involvement in Russian strategic industries and being among the richest Russians. Having emigrated before the invasion of Ukraine reduces the probability of being sanctioned. Other factors, such as public opposition to the war, Western investments, and official media exposure in Russia, do not show statistically significant relationships with the imposition of sanctions.
