'A badge of honour': B.C. premier among dozens of Canadians sanctioned by Russia

British Columbia Premier John Horgan was named among dozens of Canadian officials and journalists sanctioned by Russia's foreign ministry on Thursday.

The move comes two days after Canada announced a new round of sanctions against close associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin, including his two daughters.

The list of 61 Canadians newly banned from entering Russia includes the premiers of Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as well as the commanders of Canada's navy, air force, army and special operations forces.

Horgan says he considers his inclusion on the list "a badge of honour, not for myself but for British Columbia."

"The fact that we were able to catch the attention of a brutal dictator in the middle of an illegal invasion of a neighbour tells me that British Columbians stood up immediately and said we are going boycott Russian products, we are going to stand up and open our hearts and our homes to the Ukrainian people," Horgan said during a news conference Thursday.

Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem and the prime minister's chief of staff Katie Telford are also on the sanctioned list.

The Russian foreign ministry says the new round of sanctions target those "directly involved in the development, substantiation and implementation of the Russophobic course of the ruling regime in Canada," adding they "are indefinitely prohibited from entering the Russian Federation."

The sanctions also apply to Canadian journalists, namely Globe and Mail correspondent Mark MacKinnon and National Post columnist John Ivison, as well as CTV News vice-president Michael Melling.

In response, Horgan said a visit to Russia is no longer on his "bucket list, if it ever was."

"If the Russians don't want me to visit, I had no plans to go," the premier said. 

Horgan was among the first Canadian leaders to publicly condemn Russia's initial invasion of Ukraine in February, saying his government would stand with Ottawa in imposing sanctions against the country and would welcome Ukrainian refugees to B.C.

Russia had already banned many prominent Canadians from entering the country, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, members of his cabinet and MPs from other parties.