‘Random assortment’ of 121 Australians banned from Russia

Russia has banned 121 Australians from entering the country.

Among those banned are journalists, politicians and defence officials who Russia has accused of being part of a “Russophobic agenda”.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas, mining magnate Gina Rinehart, ABC chairwoman Ita Buttrose and Nine chairman Peter Costello are on the list.

Director of defence, strategy and national security at the The Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Michael Shoebridge, is also on the list.

“The list is a bit of an Arnott’s random assortment. I don’t quite know how the giants of Russian intelligence assembled it,” he told Neil Mitchell.

Mr Shoebridge says he’s failed to refer to the war in Ukraine as “a special military operation” — Putin’s term for the conflict — but there are plenty of other Australians who’ve also labelled it a war who haven’t made the list.

“I do think the Ukrainian people and government are fighting a war on our behalf and we must do everything we can to support them and make sure Putin loses his war. That’s probably why I’m on the list,” he said.

Mr Shoebridge says the ban won’t impact him much, but it is telling.

“That won’t affect my life here in Australia much, but I think the bigger thing it tells us about Putin and his regime is, like autocrats through history, threatened by free speech and those who use it to expose his crimes and abuses,” he said.

Press PLAY below to hear what Mr Shoebridge finds telling about the banned list

Image: Getty