Australia has expressed its deep concern over shelling and fire at the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, as fighting escalates in Ukraine.
Russian forces in Ukraine shelled the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant on Friday, sparking a fire which led to authorities becoming concerned about damage and the US activating its nuclear incident team as a precaution.
"Deeply concerned about reports of shelling and fire at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant," Foreign Minister Marise Payne tweeted.
"The recklessness and dangers of (Russian president Vladimir) Putin's war are demonstrated by the direct threat and risks Russia is posing to critical infrastructure in Ukraine, including nuclear power facilities."
Ukrainian authorities reported Russian forces shooting at firefighters seeking to put out the blaze.
The 1986 Chernobyl accident, the world's worst nuclear disaster, happened about 110km north of the capital Kyiv.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said the fire had not affected essential equipment and that Ukraine's nuclear regulator reported no change in radiation levels.
Australia is taking action on a range of fronts, from providing weapons and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, to supporting resolutions in the United Nations and backing International Criminal Court action.
In its latest move, the government has told superannuation funds it has a "strong expectation" they would review their investment portfolios and divest any holdings of Russian assets.
Australian authorities have frozen a $45 million bank account belonging to a sanctioned Russian entity.
Senator Payne said it was a good example of the impact of sanctions.
"We know that we can have an effect and we'll continue to do that," she told the ABC.
The minister declined to go into further detail.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the targeted sanctions were having an impact.
"I'm not one of those who thinks that President Putin is one who is dissuaded from his murderous acts," Mr Morrison told 6PR radio on Friday.
"But that should not stop the rest of the world from further pressing in and tightening the vice.
"Russia has, through President Putin, self-nominated as a pariah state. We can line them up with North Korea and others and they should be treated accordingly."
The prime minister met online with Quad nation leaders from the United States, India and Japan to discuss unified action against Russia.
He said all nations violating the international rules-based order should face a "heavy transactional cost in reputation and in economic terms and potentially even militarily".
It was also important to call out countries such as China for easing trade restrictions with Russia.
"We cannot allow what is happening in Ukraine now to ever happen in the Indo-Pacific," Mr Morrison said in a statement after the Quad meeting.
"We are resolute in our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region where smaller states do not need to live in fear of more powerful ones."
Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaking to the media Source: AAP / BIANCA DE MARCHI/AAPIMAGE
He said democratic nations must unite in calling out Russian aggression.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has raised fears in many circles that China could take similar action in relation to Taiwan.
But the prime minister said the two issues shouldn't be conflated.
"There's a very clear understanding of what the implications would be if China were to seek to realise its ambitions for Taiwan ... we need to take the right lessons out of what's occurring in Ukraine," he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce wants Australia to become "as strong as possible, as quickly as possible" by ramping up exports of iron ore, coal, cattle and cotton.
He says by invading Ukraine, Mr Putin had changed the world and Australia must have money in the bank to prepare for further conflict.
