Australia tightens sanctions against Russia over Crimean Bridge

Australia has imposed new sanctions on one Russian individual and four Russian companies over the construction of the Kerch Strait Bridge (the Crimean Bridge) from mainland Russia to the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula.

Read alsoEU urges UN to consider sanctions against Russia for Crimea occupationThat is according to the Ukrainian online news outlet Obozrevatel, referring to a statement by Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade published on March 30.

"Australia has imposed targeted financial sanctions and travel bans against a Russian individual and four Russian companies connected to the construction and operation of the Kerch Strait Railway Bridge linking Russia to the illegally annexed territories of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine," the statement said.

"Today's announcement is made in coordination with Canada and aligns with action taken by the United Kingdom and European Union," it added.

In total, 168 individuals and 52 entities from Russia have been put on Australia's sanctions lists since 2014.

Background

• On March 7, 2020, Russia launched a train service across the Crimean Bridge to connect the occupied peninsula with the Russian Federation's Krasnodar Krai.
• Automobile traffic across the bridge between Russia and Crimea was opened in May 2018, which was followed by the launch of a freight transport service.
• Most of Russians consider the opening of the Kerch Strait Bridge to be the milestone event of 2018.
• Earlier, it was reported that the Kerch Strait Bridge, illegally built by Russia in occupied Crimea, started shifting and changing its location.