Japan, Australia impose more sanctions on Russia as Ukraine invasion enters 4th week

As Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine entered its fourth week on Friday, Australia and Japan stepped up the pressure by placing sanctions on more Russian individuals, banks and government organizations.

Australia placed sanctions on Russia’s finance ministry and 11 additional banks and government organizations, covering the majority of the country’s banking assets along with all entities that handle Russia’s sovereign debt.

“With our recent inclusion of the Central Bank of Russia, Australia has now targeted all Russian government entities responsible for issuing and managing Russia’s sovereign debt,” Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne said in a statement.

Japan said it will impose sanctions against 15 Russian individuals and nine organizations, including defense officials and state-owned arms exporter Rosoboronexport.

Japan has now slapped sanctions on 76 individuals, seven banks and 12 other organizations in Russia, according to the finance ministry.

The government on Friday designated Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova and several military equipment makers including United Aircraft Corp, which manufactures fighter jets.

Japan still has stakes in gas and oil projects in Russia’s Sakhalin island, after Shell and Exxon Mobil pulled out from those projects.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday gave no clear indication of the fate of Japan’s investment in the projects, underscoring both their importance for Tokyo’s energy security and his intention to keep in step with G7 peers’ sanctions against Russia.

The Russian ambassador in Tokyo said on Thursday it was only logical to maintain “mutually beneficial” energy projects in Sakhalin.