SYDNEY, December 12. /TASS/. New Zealand has blacklisted Russia’s Minister for Digital Development Maksut Shadaev and 23 media workers over the conflict in Ukraine, the country’s Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said in a statement on Monday.

"Those sanctioned include the Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, the CEO of Channel-1 Russia, and key personnel from Russian media outlets including InfoRos, SouthFront, and the Strategic Culture Foundation," Nanaia Mahuta said.

New Zealand earlier imposed sanctions on more than 1,200 Russian and Belarusian individuals and entities, which particularly include bans on asset transactions and entry bans. In addition, harsh economic restrictions were introduced, which actually suspended trade between New Zealand and Russia.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation based on a request from the heads of the Donbass republics. In response, the West imposed major sanctions on Russia. In addition, Western countries started to provide weapons and military equipment to Kiev, whose total value is currently estimated at billions of dollars.