Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has imposed sanctions on his former chief of staff Andriy Bogdan.
According to a decree published on Zelensky's website, Bogdan, who is a Ukrainian citizen, has been imposed 17 types of restrictions, including asset freezes, suspension of financial obligations, a ban on land acquisition and indefinite deprivation of state awards.
According to the publication “Strana“ Bogdan currently lives in Austria and has publicly criticized Zelensky.
Andriy Bogdan is a lawyer and politician who played a key role in the early stages of Volodymyr Zelensky's administration. He was appointed head of the Presidential Administration (later reformed into the Office of the President) immediately after Zelensky's inauguration in May 2019.
Bogdan is considered one of the main strategists behind Zelensky's election campaign. Before that, he was a long-time personal lawyer for oligarch Igor Kolomoisky, which sparked criticism about the new president's independence.
As chief of staff, he was known for his constant presence at Zelensky's side - literally whispering in his ear during events. His direct and often confrontational style won him both supporters and many enemies in political circles.
Bogdan was dismissed from his post on February 11, 2020. The official reason was not disclosed, but it is believed to be the result of an internal struggle for influence with Andriy Yermak, who succeeded him in office and remains in it to this day.
After leaving, Bogdan became a sharp critic of Zelensky's team. In a number of interviews, he claimed that the president had fallen under the influence of corrupt figures and that the "information bubble" around the head of state was interfering with the real governance of the country.
Today, Andriy Bogdan is mainly engaged in legal practice and periodically comments on the political situation in Ukraine on social networks and in the media.