Australia imposes more sanctions on Russian state-owned enterprises

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia imposed targeted financial sanctions on 14 Russian state-owned enterprises on Thursday, including defence-related entities such as truckmaker Kamaz, and shipping companies SEVMASH and United Shipbuilding Corp.

Sanctions will also extend to electronic company Ruselectronics, responsible for the production of around 80% of all Russian electronics components, and Russian Railways over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a statement.

Russia has said it launched a “special military operation” in Ukraine and has blamed Ukraine for civilian deaths and accused Kyiv of denigrating Russian armed forces.

Australia has now sanctioned about 600 individuals and entities, including most of Russia’s banking sector and all organisations responsible for the country’s sovereign debt.

It has also supplied defence equipment and humanitarian supplies to Ukraine, while banning exports of alumina and aluminium ores, including bauxite, to Russia.

(Reporting by Renju Jose; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)