Australia has expanded its sanctions on Russian and Belarusian individuals, naming Vladislav Tretyak, the president of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, and Alexander Zhukov, a former leader of the Russian Olympic Committee, on a revised government blacklist. The action appears on the official government portal, which confirms the updated roster of restricted figures.
The revised sanctions list adds 76 deputies from the Russian State Duma alongside a group of senior ministers from the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. The move continues Australia’s broader policy to hold individuals connected to these regions accountable for actions deemed destabilizing or contrary to international norms.
As of now, Australia has imposed sanctions on more than 800 people from Russia and Belarus. The ongoing measures reflect a sustained approach to deter activities viewed as threats to regional security and international stability. Attribution: Australian Government.
Despite sanctions from the International Ice Hockey Federation, Russia has reiterated its intention to defend its right to host major hockey events, including both junior and senior world championships. The country has underscored that these tournaments are part of its sporting heritage and future ambitions, and officials have signaled readiness to participate in the global hockey calendar should geopolitical contexts permit participation.
Historically, the 2023 Junior World Championships were slated to take place in Omsk and Novosibirsk, with St. Petersburg designated as the host city for the senior World Championship in May 2023. In the view of organizers and city officials, recent infrastructure developments in these locales support the potential staging of such events, including the construction of modern hockey venues that meet international standards. The last time Russia hosted the World Junior Championships was in 2013, a reminder of the country’s longstanding role in international junior hockey and the evolving landscape of hosting responsibilities in major championships. Attribution: International sports governance bodies and city planning records.