SYDNEY, April 14. /TASS/. Australia’s government has imposed economic sanctions against 14 Russian companies and organizations over the situation in Ukraine, Australia’s Department of Home Affairs said on Thursday.

Falling under Australia’s sanctions are fuel and energy companies Gazprom, Gazprom Neft, and Transneft, truck manufacturer Kamaz, diamond mining company Alrosa, Ruselectronics holding company, Rostelecom, hydroelectricity company RusHydro, United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), Sevmash (incorporated into USC), ship operator Sovomflot, Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port, insurance company Sogaz, and the railway trips booking office of Visit Russia national travel company.

By today, Australia has imposed sanctions against more than 500 Russian and Belarusian citizens, including Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus. Economic sanctions, including a ban on exports of weapons and components, raw materials and equipment for oil and gas production and a ban on imports of Russian energy sources, weapons and components, were imposed against Russia’s biggest companies and organizations.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in response to a request for help by the heads of the Donbass republics. He stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories, but aimed to demilitarize and denazify the country.

Following this step, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and several other countries announced sanctions against Russia individuals and legal entities.