Australia has issued fresh sanctions against 67 Russian nationals following the country's invasion of Ukraine.
In a statement on Thursday, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the latest round of sanctions came in response to "the emergence of evidence of war crimes" committed by Russia in Bucha and other areas around the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
Australia condemns these atrocities in the strongest possible terms.
The sanctions have extended to Russian military official Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, who has been labelled the "Butcher of Mariupol" for attacks in the city that targeted buildings sheltering civilians.
People from Mariupol and surroundings in eastern Ukraine, leave a train to be taken to temporary residences in Nizhny Novgorod region, at the railway station in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, on Thursday, 7 April, 2022. Source: AAP / AP
There are now more than 600 people who have been given sanctions by Australia following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"The Australian government is committed to imposing the highest costs on those who bear responsibility for Russia's aggression in Ukraine or hold levers of power," Senator Payne said.
"The Australian government reiterates our strongest support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and for the people of Ukraine."
It comes as Australia joined part of a growing push to suspend Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Similar calls have been made by the United States and the United Kingdom.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the West on Tuesday of trying to derail negotiations between Russia and Ukraine by fuelling "hysteria" over alleged war crimes by Moscow's forces.
Kyiv and the West say there is evidence that Russia committed war crimes in the Ukrainian town of Bucha. Moscow denies the charge and has called the allegations a "monstrous forgery."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy used a UN address on Tuesday to call for the expulsion of Russia - one of five permanent members who hold veto powers - from the security council so it cannot block peace resolutions to the war being waged on his country.
But under the UN charter there is no direct way to remove a permanent member of the security council.
However, Russia can be suspended from the Human Rights Council with a two-thirds vote in the General Assembly.
Australia has co-sponsored the resolution required, but a senior foreign affairs official says the push was in train just prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow has threatened to retaliate against states who vote for its suspension.
Senator Payne and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the efforts to hold Russia accountable and to provide security assistance to Ukraine during NATO ministerial meetings in Brussels.
"Authoritarian states cannot be allowed to trample on the rights of democratic countries," Senator Payne said.
Ukraine's ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko has called on the federal government to take further action and ban Russian goods from entering the country.
"I encourage all those Australian companies to stop that operation. It is toxic to be doing any business," he told the Ten network.
"I have an indication there may be some companies in oil and gas and mining industries who still continue working in Russia. I will reach out to those companies directly."
During a hearing in Canberra, Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong pushed officials on why Russian diplomats were expelled from Australia over the use of the chemical agent Novichok to poison a former Russian military intelligence officer, but not after reports of war crimes.
"I do understand the logic of being cautious to get to an expulsion point," she said on Thursday.
"There must be a line where a country so demonstrates its unwillingness to adhere to international norms."
DFAT first assistant secretary Andrew Walter said the matter was under constant consideration.
"The foreign minister and the department are working closely with our partners to make sure that every step we take is measured, and indeed appropriate, and nothing has been ruled out in regards to this," he told the committee hearing.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has called for the expulsion of Russian diplomats, barring the ambassador, to hold the Kremlin accountable for the reported atrocities.
"It is hard to conceive how the decision can be made to allow these individuals to stay, given the sickening abuses being carried out by Russian forces," Mr Albanese said.
"The mass killing of innocent civilians and the use of rape as a weapon of war can only be described as war crimes."
