Russia-Ukraine War: New Zealand announces sanctions against Russian individuals involved in forcibly relocating Ukrainian children

Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta has announced sanctions on further Russian individuals and entities. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The Government has announced sanctions against a further 21 Russian individuals and entities.

The new measures target 13 individuals with roles in the forced relocation of Ukrainian children.

Since the Russian invasion in February last year, officials estimate hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian children have been illegally deported to Russia or Russian-occupied zones.

🇳🇿 condemns Russia's forced relocation of Ukrainian children, disinformation and the theft of 🇺🇦cultural property. 18 months on from Russia’s invasion and on 🇺🇦’s Independence Day, 🇳🇿continues to stand with 🇺🇦, announcing further sanctions: https://t.co/1kVVZ7kzYM #kiamanawanui

— Nanaia Mahuta MP (@NanaiaMahuta) August 24, 2023

The latest sanctions target five Russian individuals and two Russian entities involved in the spread of disinformation related to Russia’s war against Ukraine and an individual involved in the theft of Ukrainian cultural property.

Since passing the Russia Sanctions Act in March 2022, New Zealand has imposed sanctions on more than 1600 individuals and entities, along with a range of trade measures that have significantly decreased two-way trade with Russia.

Earlier this month, five Belarusian senior military officials were targeted for providing strategic military support for Russia’s illegal invasion, as were four Belarusian state-owned enterprises and financial institutions providing material or strategic support to the Russian war effort.