Australia sanctions 110 Russians over Ukraine war

May 4 (UPI) -- Australia imposed sanctions against 110 Russians, mostly politicians, on Wednesday over their country's war in Ukraine.

Seventy-six members of the 450-seat State Duma, the lower house of Parliament in Moscow, and 34 senior members of Russia-led movements in separatist-controlled Donetsk and Lukansk of eastern Ukraine were hit with targeted financial sanctions and travel bans, Canberra's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

"These individuals have violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine through their assertion of governmental authority over areas of Ukraine without Ukrainian government's authorization," the ministry said.

Russian state-run news agency TASS described the 34 senior members in Donetsk and Lukansk hit with sanctions as ministers representing the two regions.

The sanctions were imposed as the Kremlin's war launched on Feb. 24 nears three-months old, resulting in the deaths of nearly 3,200 Ukrainian civilians with nearly 5.6 million others forced to flee the country, according to United Nations data.

Days before Russia invaded Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin recognized Donetsk and Lukansk, two regions in eastern Ukraine held by Moscow-backed separatists, as independent republics.

The Australian ministry said among the 76 members of the State Duma hit with sanctions Wednesday are those who voted in favor of a resolution calling on Putin to recognize the two regions as independent states. The majority of those sanctioned, it said, also voted in favor of ratifying one or both treaties of mutual assistance and cooperation between Russia and the two regions.

Oleg Matveichev, a Duma member, was the only sanctioned individual named Wednesday and was hit with the punitive measure for "the dissemination of disinformation and propaganda."

"As a mouthpiece for President Putin, he even argued disingenuously for the payment of reparations for harm caused by Western sanctions and the war itself," the ministry said.

The sanctions were imposed after the United States said Monday it believes the Kremlin may try and annex Donetsk and Lukansk through holding sham referenda.

Since the war began, democratic countries, including the United States, Britain and Canada as well as the European Union, have responded by imposing sanctions and other punitive measures against Russia and Russians close to Putin.

With Wednesday's targets, Australia has now sanctioned 812 people and 47 entities in response to Russia's war.

"Australia reiterate our unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and for the people of Ukraine," the ministry said.