Australia and New Zealand have imposed the strongest sanctions against Russia since the start of the war

On the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Australia and New Zealand have imposed new sanctions against Russian individuals and entities.

In particular, as stated in the message of the Australian government, the country announced personal sanctions against 70 Russians and financial sanctions against 79 Russian companies. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong detailed that the sanctions were imposed against employees of the occupation authorities in the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia, against military-industrial, transport and financial companies, as well as against companies and individuals participating in military cooperation between the Russian Federation and the DPRK.

“The deepening of Russian-North Korean military cooperation is a dangerous expansion of Russia’s war and has serious implications for European and Indo-Pacific security,” the report said.

“Australia has made it clear from day one that the Russian Federation and those who facilitate its illegal invasion will face consequences… This is Australia’s largest sanctions package since February 2022,” the government noted.

In total, Australia imposed more than 1 anti-Russian sanctions in response to Russia's attack on Ukraine.

For his part, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced sanctions against 52 Russian citizens and companies. These are those involved in the military-industrial complex and the energy sector of the Russian Federation. Also included in the sanctions list are “Russian entities involved in the forced resettlement of Ukrainian children and high-ranking North Korean military personnel involved in providing assistance to Russia in military operations.”

Sanctions against the Russian Federation

The European Union has agreed on its 16th package of sanctions against Russia. In particular, 48 new individuals and 35 legal entities have been placed under visa bans and asset freezes. In addition, the EU has defined new criteria for blacklisting captains of the “shadow fleet” of Russian tankers.