Russia bans more Australians in retaliation for Ukraine support
Russia expands its banned list of Aussies to include police chiefs, a Home Affairs secretary and a former minister with a warning of more to come | FULL LIST
Russia has banned 39 more Australians associated with law enforcement and border security from entering the country after it announced in June a scattershot sanctions list of 120 individuals.
“In response to the decision of officials in Canberra to impose sanctions … on the basis of reciprocity, Russia is adding 39 more people to the list” of those banned from entering its territory, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday night.
It is a wide-ranging list of individuals associated with law enforcement, border security and contractors in Australia including a range of figures in the Department of Home Affairs and various figures in state and territory law enforcement.
Notable names on the list include Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo, Victorian Education Minister Natalie Hutchins (who was until recently corrections minister), NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb, and government services contract firm Serco’s chief executive Peter Welling.
The list also includes police commissioners and corrections ministers of most of the states and territories, various department heads within the Home Affairs Department and the Australian Border Force.
The Russian Foreign Ministry statement warned that further action may come.
“In conditions when the Australian authorities continue to whip up Russophobic sentiments and pursue a policy of expanding sanctions, we reserve the right to take further countermeasures,” it read.
This comes after Moscow in June banned 120 Australians from entering Russia for the same reason, a broad list which included defence officials, mining bosses, academics and media bosses, editors and reporters from outlets including The Australian and The Daily Telegraph, barring them from entering the country “indefinitely.”
Of those, 14 were journalists at The Australian, including editor-in-chief Christopher Dore, editor-at-large Paul Kelly, political editor Simon Benson and foreign editor Greg Sheridan.
Since its offensive against Ukraine began in late February, Russia has taken similar measures against hundreds of other Western figures.
These are the latest Australians Russia has banned:
Marc Ablong
Ben Bayot
David Brown
Garry Brown
Joe Buffone
Katarina Carroll
Emma Cassar
Jamie Chalker
Kevin Corcoran
Chris Dawson
Dwayne Freeman
Hamish Hansford
Vanessa Holben
Natalie Hutchins
Bill Johnston
Andrew Kefford
Geoff Lee
Michael MacFarlanel
Michael Milford
Cheryl-anne Moy
Michael Outram
Shane Patton
Cheryl Pearce
Michael Pezzullo
Mike Reynolds
Mark Ryan
Justine Saunders
Sophie Sharpe
Malcolm Skene
Grant Stevens
Michael Strickland
Vincent Tarzia
Clint Thomas
Selena Uibo
Matthew Varley
Pip de Veau
Peter Verwer
Karen Webb
Peter Welling