Australia News

Australian Government sanctions two Russian oligarchs

Eliza Sayon Mar 18, 2022

2 min read

Russian oligarchs Oleg Deripaska and Viktor Vekselberg, who both have ties to the Australian aluminium manufacturing sector, have been sanctioned by the Australian Government alongside Russian financial institutions and the Russian finance ministry.

Oleg Deripaska, who has a stake in an alumina refinery in Gladstone run by Rio Tinto, and Viktor Vekselberg, who has an interest in a gas project in the Beetaloo Basin, were named in a new sanctions instrument alongside nine Russian banks, a sovereign wealth fund and the entire Russian finance ministry.

This comes after the Australian Government faced criticisms from the public after the two were not listed among the 41 Russian oligarchs and family members that Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade hit with sanctions last Monday.

Meanwhile, Australia has also joined the United States and its allies in launching a multilateral task force to tackle Russian elites, proxies and oligarchs.

The task force, which also includes the United Kingdom, Japan and European countries, will be increasing cooperation on freezing and seizing assets and launching criminal prosecutions by collecting and sharing information as the West steps up pressure on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

The new sanctions follow Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last month, which has been condemned by western governments.

It is expected that Prime Minister Scott Morrison will be announcing that Australia will provide more aid to Ukraine after flagging a second support package.

The Prime Minister spoke to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on this added aid last Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Russia has rejected reports it bombed a theatre in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol where civilians were sheltering.

Mariupol has suffered the worst humanitarian catastrophe of the war, with hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in basements with no food, water or power as Russian forces pound it with artillery fire and airstrikes.

With AAP

Eliza Sayon

Website | + posts

Eliza is a content producer and editor at Public Spectrum. She is an experienced writer on topics related to the government and to the public, as well as stories that uplift and improve the community.