Ukraine and the World – Against russia’s Aggression. Sanctions in Action

The Export and Investment Fund of Denmark is investing USD 5 million in the defence technology venture fund D3 to support Ukraine’s defence tech.

US Republican Senator Tim Scott has assured that President Donald Trump is looking for ways to put an end to the war in Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg plans to visit Rome this week to participate in a conference on Ukraine’s recovery.

In autumn, the Netherlands will send its F-35 fighter jets to patrol Poland’s airspace, in particular to protect aid routes to Ukraine.

Poland and the Netherlands have agreed to continue to cooperate in providing assistance to Ukraine.

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Sweden and Denmark have followed Germany in demanding insurance documents from tankers passing through their territorial waters in the Baltic Sea. Ships without confirmed insurance may be blacklisted by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the EU, further limiting the kremlin’s ability to use the “shadow fleet” to circumvent international sanctions.

By mid-2025, more than 24,000 sanctions will have been imposed on russia. Since the beginning of this year alone, 450 new targeted and sectoral restrictions have been introduced. As a result, the total long-term losses of russia’s GDP may range from 7.1 % to 14.2 %, and the decline in household consumption may be from 9.3 % to 18.6 %. Export revenues had already decreased by $85 billion from December 2022 to September 2024 and continue to fall, as a result of the price ceiling and discounts on russian oil. The production of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers has declined by more than 15 % of the forecast level, with a similar decline in woodworking. Significant declines (from 5–14.9 %) were recorded in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machine building, coke and petroleum products. Logistics has become a new point of vulnerability. Prices for deliveries to russia increased by 6.2 % compared to the global median, resulting in total costs for the country of $21 billion in 2023.

In June, sea oil exports from the rf decreased by 6.5 % compared to May, to 3.43 million barrels a day, the lowest level in four months.

In June, oil exports from the rf to India by sea decreased by about 1.2 % to 1.66 million bpd, as India may show higher demand for American oil. In June 8–15, the figure decreased by 7.8 % week-on-week to 426 thousand tons a day, in the period June 16-22, the loading decreased by 1.9 % to 418 thousand tons a day, and on June 23-29 – by 1.5 % to 411 thousand tons a day.

Petrol prices in the rf ended June at their highest levels since the beginning of this year. In July, they approached the records of 2023, while AI-92 has only a little more to go in price to reach the psychological cutoff level, after which the damper for oil companies is zeroed.

The collapse in air traffic on July 5-6 could cost airlines about 20 billion rubles. Losses due to flight cancellations alone on the first day of a large-scale disruption at three airports are estimated at 4-6 billion rubles.

One of russia’s largest mining companies, “Mechel”, reduced coal production by 24 % in January-May this year compared to the same period last year – to 3.3 million tons.

Due to the complicated economic conditions for business in the second half of this year, russian employers will either reduce the amount of bonuses paid or refuse to pay bonuses to employees at all. It is possible that bonuses will not be paid in cash, but, for example, in the form of company securities. At the beginning of June, more than 70 % of russian companies had to optimize their costs, while at the beginning of the year this figure was 58 %. 18 % plan to cut employee costs, while 21 % are going to cut charitable and social programs.

In 2025, tuition fees at russian universities increased by 12 % compared to the previous year, including almost by 16 % in Moscow. The average increase in tuition fees in 2025 compared to 2024 was 12 %, including 15.7 % in Moscow, 11.1 % in St. Petersburg, and 11.3 % in other regions.

The state duma of the rf plans to introduce a tax on travel abroad.

The governor of the Kamchatka Krai Solodov has said that the region has restricted mobile Internet and geo-positioning for security reasons.

In recent months, belarus has seen an increase in the number of charges brought under the “popular” Article 342 of the Criminal Code (organization or participation in actions that grossly violate public order). Human rights activists attribute this to the fact that five years will soon pass since the protests, and thus the statute of limitations for prosecution under this criminal article will expire, after which their participants cannot be convicted.

In six months, belarusian “maz” sold 1,668 units of equipment to russia, which is by 33.7 % fewer than in the first half of 2024.

belarus may introduce a single cleaning day at the legislative level.