Australia listed as 'unfriendly country' by Russia as sanctions bite

Australia has joined Russia's list of "unfriendly countries" after it slapped sanctions on the country over its attack on Ukraine.

The Kremlin has drawn up a list of nations who "commit unfriendly actions against Russia, its companies, and citizens" through sanctions, reports Russian state media agency TASS.

Australia, EU states, the US, UK, Canada, Ukraine, Singapore, Japan and Taiwan are among the nations on the "unfriendly countries" list.

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"The countries and territories mentioned in the list imposed or joined the sanctions against Russia after the start of a special military operation of the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine," the TASS statement said.

The lengthy list was drawn up as part of a decree by Russian President Vladimir Putin to introduce temporary economic measures aimed at providing economic stability in the country in the face of international sanctions.

Among them was a law that allows Russian citizens, companies and state bodies to pay back foreign creditors in rubles.

The Russian ruble plunged even further against the US dollar on Monday, hitting record lows, as talk grows over possible sanctions against Russian energy.

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The US dollar/Russian ruble is currently trading at around 155, meaning US$1 is worth 155 rubles.

Before the conflict with Ukraine began, it would normally trade between 70 to 80 rubles to the dollar. On Monday's lows, the Russian ruble has lost 90 per cent of its value against the US dollar since the beginning of the year.

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The ruble has plunged as the West brings in tough economic sanctions and the Russian government introduced capital controls to try and stop the flow of money out of Russia.

- Reported with CNN