In the last four and a half months, Russia’s deliberate and systematic bombing of civilians in Ukraine clearly demonstrate that Russia is a sponsor, and perpetrator of international terrorism. 

To stop Australians and Australian entities from funding terrorism, mass murder, and crimes against humanity, as well as to protect Australia and its allies from terrorist acts, the Australian government must immediately declare the Russian government, *Russian armed forces, and **Russian special services, as terrorist organisations. 

What this will achieve
Declaring the Russian government, its armed forces, and special services as terrorist organisations will ensure: 

●    Every member (or former member) of the Russian government, armed forces or any state-controlled special services are categorised as terrorists, and unable to travel to or engage in terrorism on Australian soil;

●    Receiving funds or making funds available to the Russian government, its armed forces, special services, and associated entities is stopped, thereby limiting access to capital for these organisations;

●    Providing support and/or resources that help these organisations engage in the preparation, planning, assisting, or fostering terrorist act(s), is prohibited;

●    Russian state-controlled and extremist, neo-Nazi propaganda in Australia is illegal, further protecting Australians from terrorist threats;

●    Negatively impact the Russian economy, restricting government resources and armed forces’ military spending. This will in turn help to end the war in Ukraine sooner, and decrease the threat of Russian international terrorism at the same time.
 

Recent Russian terrorist attacks

For over four months, Russia has engaged in deliberate and systematic bombing of civilian targets with over 2,500 missiles launched, which has so far resulted in over 4,670 civilian casualties including over 350 children, 45 million square meters of housing, and over 600 hospitals destroyed.

Between the 26th and 28th of June alone, Russian forces fired 80+ missiles at Ukrainian cities, targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. 4 missiles hit a nine-storey residential building in Kyiv; On 27th of June, Russian missiles hit a shopping centre containing over a thousand people, including many children, in Kremenchuk; On the 9th of July 48 people were killed by Russian missiles in Chasiv Yar; On July 14th seven missiles were fired upon the centre of Vinnytsia city, killing 23 civilians including 3 children with close to 100 injured. On the 15th of July, ten missiles were launched on two universities in Mykolayiv.  

 

 

Russian Federation – A History of Terrorism

Acts of terrorism by the Russian Federation, ordered by its government and carried out by its armed forces, and agencies are long-standing:

 

●    On 1st of November 2006, a former officer of the Russian Federal Security Service Alexander Litvinenko, was poisoned in London and later died - the first confirmed victim of lethal Polonium-210-induced Acute Radiation Syndrome.

●    On 17th of July 2014, Russian armed forces shot down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 killing all 298 people onboard, including 38 Australians and 80 children. On June 23rd 2022, PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe) stated that MH17 was shot down by forces controlled by the Russian federation using Russian weapons.  

●    In 2014, Russia invaded and annexed Crimea, starting an unprovoked war on the East of Ukraine, committing multiple acts of terrorism involving civilian casualties. 

●    On 4 March 2018, Sergei Skripal, a former Russian military officer and double agent for the British intelligence agencies, and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, were poisoned in Salisbury, (U.K.), with the use of ‘Novichok’ nerve-agent, developed by Russia and executed by Russian agents.

●    Since the 24th of February 2022, Russia has carried out multiple terrorist attacks in Ukraine:

-    Targeting two nuclear power plants;

-    Destroying over 600 hospitals, and medical facilities;

-    Torturing, wilful killing, and mass executions of civilians;

-    Rape and executions of women and minors;

-    Kidnapping and forcefully deporting over 260,000 Ukrainian children to Russia;

-    Firing over 2,500 missiles into Ukraine and using 200+ types of prohibited weapons; 

Australia must take a stand with its allies in declaring Russian actions in Ukraine as acts of terrorism. The U.S. Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee has proposed a resolution to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. Lithuania has officially recognised Russia as a terrorist state and Russian actions in Ukraine as genocide. 

We urge that the Australian Government declares the government, armed forces and special services of the Russian Federation as terrorist organisations immediately. This will ensure that no Australian individual or entity can receive or make funds available, receive or make payments, sponsor, supply, or otherwise support these organisations and their members. This will greatly decrease, both in Australia and abroad, the threat of acts of terrorism controlled, ordered, or carried out by Russia, and prevent Australian entities from funding terrorism, genocide, and crimes against humanity. 

 

* Russian armed forces: Ground Forces, Navy, and Aerospace Forces, as well as three independent arms of service: the Strategic Rocket Forces, Airborne Forces, and Special Operations Forces.

** Russian Special Services: Federal Security Service (FSB), Main Directorate of Special Programs of the President of the Russian Federation (GUSP), Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Federal Protective Service (FSO), Main Intelligence Directorate (G.U.), Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation, Information Operations Troops of the Russian Federation, Intelligence Directorate of the Main Staff of the Russian Navy, Special Communications and Information Service of the Federal Protective Service of the Russian Federation, Psychological Operations Units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.