Sean Penn, Ben Stiller On List of Those Permanently Banned from Entering Russia

Mike Marsland/WireImage; Amanda Edwards/WireImage Sean Penn (left), Ben Stiller

Sean Penn and Ben Stiller are among the list of notable names permanently banned from Russia, according to an official statement by Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The statement names 25 "high-ranking officials, representatives of the business and expert communities, as well as cultural figures" who are banned from entering Russia, in response to "the ever-expanding personal sanctions by the Biden Administration against Russian citizens."

The U.S. and other countries have issued sanctions aimed at dozen of Russian officials — including Russian President Vladimir Putin and his adult daughters and alleged mistress — amid the country's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

The sanctions effectively cut Putin and others off from any U.S. financial systems and free any assets they have within the U.S.

Others included on Russia's banned list are Senators Kyrsten Sinema, Richard Scott, Patrick Toomey Jr. and Mark Kelly; Deputy Ministers of Trade Matthew Alexrod, Don Graves, Thea Kandler and Jeremy Pelter; and Minister of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Variety reports.

RELATED: Sean Penn Shares Video from Ukraine, Working for Relief for War Victims

Both Penn and Stiller have expressed their support for Ukraine amid the invasion.

Penn, 61, travelled to Ukraine to work on an upcoming documentary about political tensions, chronicling the invasion and war launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Penn told Hollywood Authentic magazine in April that he even thought about fighting on behalf of Ukraine.

"If you've been in Ukraine [fighting] has to cross your mind," he said at the time. "And you kind of think what century is this? Because I was at the gas station in Brentwood the other day and I'm now thinking about taking up arms against Russia? What the f--- is going on?"

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In a statement shared with PEOPLE in February, Penn expressed his thoughts on the horrors that the Ukrainian people are facing.

"[It is] already a brutal mistake of lives taken and hearts broken, and if he doesn't relent, I believe [Russian president] Mr. [Vladimir] Putin will have made a most horrible mistake for all of humankind," he said.

"President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people have risen as historic symbols of courage and principle. Ukraine is the tip of the spear for the democratic embrace of dreams," he added.

Fifty-six-year-old Stiller, meanwhile, met with Zelenskyy as part of his role as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations.

Stiller spoke with the president about the needs of displaced Ukrainians, calling the president his "hero," and noting the toll of the war.

"It's one thing to see this destruction on TV or on social networks. Another thing is to see it all with your own eyes. That's a lot more shocking," Stiller said.

RELATED: Ben Stiller Meets Ukrainian Refugees Who Fled to Poland Amid War: 'I'm Here to Learn'

Meanwhile, Russia's attack on Ukraine continues after their forces launched a large-scale invasion on Feb. 24 — the first major land conflict in Europe in decades.

Details of the fighting change by the day, but hundreds of civilians have already been reported dead or wounded, including children. Millions of Ukrainians have also fled, the United Nations says.

The invasion, ordered by Russian President Putin, has drawn condemnation around the world and increasingly severe economic sanctions against Russia.

The Russian attack on Ukraine is an evolving story, with information changing quickly. Follow PEOPLE's complete coverage of the war here, including stories from citizens on the ground and ways to help.