Australia will impose another round of financial and travel sanctions on Russia following the Kremlin's move to sign treaties annexing four occupied regions of Ukraine.
The new sanctions will target 28 Russian-appointed separatists, ministers and officials who the government said were flouting international law to legitimise Moscow's actions in Ukraine through "sham" referendums, disinformation and intimidation.
In a major speech held at the Kremlin on Friday, President Vladimir Putin declared that the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia would be folded into Russia.
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has described the move as illegitimate, saying it had no legal effect.
"These additional sanctions reinforce Australia's strong objection to the actions of President Putin and those carrying out his orders," she said in a statement.
"The areas of Ukraine currently occupied by Russian forces are the sovereign territory of Ukraine. No sham referendum will change this."
Australia has also filed an intervention in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) case against Russia, joining other countries like Denmark, New Zealand and Spain.
Ukraine has taken Russia to the United Nations' top court, arguing it had falsely justified its invasion by claiming it is protecting Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine from genocide.
The ICJ has ordered Russia to halt its invasion of Ukraine, saying it has not seen any evidence to support the Kremlin's justification for the war.
Russia has failed to comply with the order.
"We stand with Ukraine in bringing these proceedings against Russia before the International Court of Justice," Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said.
"Our intervention underscores our commitment to upholding fundamental rules of international law and the integrity of the Genocide Convention."
Australia had already placed wide-ranging sanctions on multiple Russian institutions and a host of senior Russian leaders, including President Putin.
Russia has responded by placing Australia and other nations implementing sanctions — including most European countries, the US, Singapore, Japan and South Korea — on a list of "unfriendly countries."
That allows Russian citizens and companies to pay back foreign creditors from those countries in rubles, as well as intensifying Russian government scrutiny on any corporate deals between Russian businesses and counterparts from nations on the list.
Russia has also banned 121 Australians the Kremlin deems "Russophobic", including journalists, defence commentators and businesspeople, from entering Russia.
