Canada is imposing additional economic sanctions against Russia due to attempts to destroy Ukrainian cultural sites, the sanctions list includes Ukrainians who work at museums and other cultural centres who collaborate with Russia, according to the website of the Government of Canada, citing the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

"Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing additional sanctions against 24 individuals and 17 entities in Ukraine as part of the Special Economic Measures (Ukraine) Regulations. These new measures are in direct response to Russia's attempts to destroy Ukraine's cultural sites, institutions and identity," the ministry said.

The Canadian Global Affairs Office said that "in addition to the extensive damage and complete destruction of a number of Ukraine’s cultural sites, thousands of Ukrainian cultural artifacts have been found missing or reportedly stolen by Russian forces in the temporarily occupied territories since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and prior to that during the attempted annexation of Crimea in 2014. In its effort to erase Ukraine’s identity, Russia reportedly illegally exported artifacts from Ukraine, and damaged cultural heritage sites."

Canada is sanctioning persons connected to Russia's theft of Ukrainian cultural objects to counter the Kremlin's efforts to "Russify" Ukraine’s culture. The list of individuals being sanctioned includes Ukrainians who work at museums and other cultural centres who collaborate with Russia. It also includes newly created entities in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, such as the so-called ministries of education and culture, as well as individuals and entities related to private military companies that originated in Ukraine and are fighting for Russia.

Earlier, Canadian television reported that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced sanctions against 24 people and 17 companies for supporting Russia's actions in Ukraine.