SYDNEY/TOKYO: As Moscow's invasion of Ukraine entered its fourth week on Friday, Australia and Japan stepped up the pressure by placing sanctions on more Russian individuals, banks and government organizations.

Australia placed sanctions on Russia鈥檚 finance ministry and 11 additional banks and government organizations, covering the majority of the country鈥檚 banking assets along with all entities that handle Russia鈥檚 sovereign debt.

鈥淲ith our recent inclusion of the Central Bank of Russia, Australia has now targeted all Russian government entities responsible for issuing and managing Russia鈥檚 sovereign debt,鈥� Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne said in a statement.

Japan said it will impose sanctions against 15 Russian individuals and nine organizations, including defense officials and state-owned arms exporter Rosoboronexport.

Japan has now slapped sanctions on 76 individuals, seven banks and 12 other organizations in Russia, according to the finance ministry.

The government on Friday designated Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova and several military equipment makers including United Aircraft Corp, which manufactures fighter jets.

Japan still has stakes in gas and oil projects in Russia鈥檚 Sakhalin island, after Shell and Exxon Mobil pulled out from those projects.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday gave no clear indication of the fate of Japan鈥檚 investment in the projects, underscoring both their importance for Tokyo鈥檚 energy security and his intention to keep in step with G7 peers鈥� sanctions against Russia.

The Russian ambassador in Tokyo said on Thursday it was only logical to maintain 鈥渕utually beneficial鈥� energy projects in Sakhalin.