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

Ukraine has received another tranche of macro-financial assistance from the EU in the amount of EUR 1 billion under the ERA Loans program, which is financed from the proceeds of frozen assets of the central bank of the rf.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has announced the allocation of a EUR 6 billion advance loan, financed by proceeds from frozen russian assets, for the production of drones for Ukraine.

The EU is considering allocating EUR 6.6 billion from the European Peace Fund to an initiative to purchase US weapons for Ukraine.

The Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia has supported a draft resolution to allocate EUR 5 million to the NATO and US PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirement List) initiative through the provision of American weapons to Ukraine.

Minister of Defence of the FRG Boris Pistorius has announced that Berlin, together with Ukrainian manufacturers, is launching a project to purchase long-range drones worth EUR 300 million. He has also announced that Berlin is transferring two complete Patriot systems to Ukraine, with the first launchers having already been delivered.

UK Defense Secretary John Healey has announced London’s plans to finance the production of long-range drones for Ukraine in the United Kingdom.

“It’s time for tougher sanctions, stronger support for Ukraine, and justice for the victims!” said Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Jan Lipavský after russia’s airstrike on Yarova, Donetsk region.

The EU court rejected fugitive president Viktor Yanukovych’s claims to lift European sanctions.

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US President Donald Trump has said that russia is to blame for delaying a peaceful settlement of the war in Ukraine.

“russia is attacking NATO ally Poland with Iranian “Shahed” drones less than a week after President Trump hosted President Nawrocki at the White House. This is an act of war, and we are grateful to NATO allies for their swift response to the unprovoked and ongoing aggression by war criminal putin against free and productive nations,” said  member of the House Republican Policy Committee Joe Wilson.

The European Union may impose sanctions on foreign banks that use russia’s equivalent of SWIFT, the Financial Messaging System (SPFS). This measure is part of the 19th package of restrictions against russia proposed by France and Germany. Paris and Berlin insist that sanctions should target the deeper structures of russia’s financial and logistics systems.

Also, as part of new sanctions against moscow, the European Union is considering the possibility of faster giving up russian energy resources.

Tokyo has decided to close all six branches of the Japan Center in russia. The Japan Center for Trade and Economic Relations is an autonomous non-profit organization established in 2000 in accordance with intergovernmental memoranda. The centers provided Japanese language training, conducted outreach business seminars in russian regions, and organized internship trips to Japan. They also helped establish ties with Japanese companies.

President of Moldova Maia Sandu has said that russia is resorting to “unlimited” interference in the country’s elections, which are scheduled for September 28. Among the expected russian tactics, she cited illegal financing, disinformation campaigns on social media, and bribing voters.

For its part, the European Parliament has adopted a resolution condemning the intensification of hybrid operations and russia’s interference ahead of the parliamentary elections in Moldova.

The General Court of the European Union has upheld sanctions against Positive Group PAO, a company operating in the russian IT sector with a license issued by the russian internal security services.

In August 2025, American aircraft manufacturing giant Boeing delivered 57 commercial aircraft to airlines, which is more than four times the total production of the russian aviation industry for the entire period since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Athens State Orchestra has announced the cancellation of russian pianist Denis Matsuev’s performance scheduled for November 21. Matsuev is putin’s close friend. The announcement emphasizes that throughout its history, the orchestra has remained committed to the values of open dialogue and respect that underpin the European cultural community. “In this context, the orchestra has decided to adjust its program in light of recent international events,” the Athens State Orchestra explained the reasons for its decision.

russian state television channels did not report on the real reason for the protests in Nepal, which led to the resignation of the current government. Thousands of people took to the streets because the government blocked 26 social networks and foreign services, but according to russian state TV, the main reason for the public discontent was “foreign interference” in the internal affairs of Nepal, which wanted to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

russia’s oil and gas revenues for January–August decreased  by 20.2 % to 6.03 trillion rubles.

The fuel crisis that has emerged in russia is intensifying. While at the end of August there was a petrol  shortage in Transbaikalia, Primorye, the Kuril Islands, and the temporarily occupied Crimea, in September it was also observed in Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, Samara, Ulyanovsk, Penza, Rostov, and Astrakhan regions, as well as in Kalmykia and Tatarstan. In addition, supply disruptions were recorded in Amur, Magadan, and Sakhalin regions, Khabarovsk Krai, Yakutia, the Jewish Autonomous Region, and Chukotka.

By the end of August 2025, the average retail price of apples had increased by 14 % year-on-year, having exceeded  140 rubles a kilogram.  Throughout the summer season, the price was higher than last year. The current market situation has led to an increase in the price of apple concentrates used in the production of juices, baby food, and cider.

russian electronics manufacturer “PK Aquarius” received 16 lawsuits in one month for a total of over 252 million rubles. “Aquarius” stopped paying its contractors back in January 2025 due to a large cash gap. “Aquarius” has been experiencing problems for a long time: they were caused by the lack of a development plan and sufficient management skills, as well as the economic slowdown. There is no free money, nothing to pay the circle: suppliers, manufacturers, customers.

russian automakers KamAZ, GAZ, and “Sollers” have proposed limiting benefits for individuals importing foreign cars. The goal is to block the legal channel for importing cars into russia for low-income and wealthy citizens. As a result of this initiative, the already sky-high prices for cars will jump by 22-40 %.

The state duma has again proposed banning migrants from bringing their families to the rf. Deputies are convinced that the presence of migrant workers’ families in russia places a “significant burden” on the budget system. Migrants’ relatives use the education, healthcare, and social security systems. At this, the income from migrants’ patents does not compensate for budget expenditures.

87 % of migrants’ children have not been enrolled in russian schools. Between April and August, documents were submitted to schools for 23,600 children with foreign citizenship. However, only 8,200 of them were sent for testing, while the rest had problems with their documentation. 5,900 children took the test, and 2,900 of them passed.

In Yakutia, local authorities want to postpone the heating season until October 1 in order to save money. The average daily temperature at that time will be approximately -1°C. At the same time, in two villages in Amga district, it was decided to supply electricity to boiler rooms for only two hours a day using backup power sources. A similar problem exists in other districts of the republic. It is related to the power outages at boiler rooms due to electricity debts.

In 2024, the number of audits conducted by the Federal Tax Service in moscow increased by 20 % – from 1,132 in 2023 to 1,359. Even conscientious companies operating “in white”
are being targeted. Audits cover a three-year period of a company’s activity, which allows tax authorities to look for violations retrospectively. And dynamic changes in tax legislation often outpace the level of preparation of financial services, leading to errors and miscalculations. In 2025, the trend toward an increase in the number of audits continues.

Known for his attacks and denunciations of artists, activists, and creators, Vitaly Borodin has turned his attention to russian chanson. “I believe that the band “Vorovaiki” should be banned simply because of one song, “Hop, Musarok”. During wartime, artists should sing only patriotic songs. Such songs are unacceptable for law enforcement officers. In particular, following Borodin’s statements, a case was brought against Daria Bogdanova, the granddaughter of pilot Valery Chkalov, and the play “Molière, avec amour” was canceled because a male actor played a female role in it.

President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda has said that the joint belarusian-russian military exercise “Zapad” poses a period of increased threat, but Lithuania has taken the necessary measures. According to him, it cannot be ruled out that during this period certain provocations may occur or that drones may fly into Lithuania’s territory. “We are preparing for such incidents,” Nausėda added.

According to National Bank Chairman Roman Golovchenko,  inflation in belarus in 2025 and 2026 will be higher than the government had expected.  He also believes that “the ideal pricing formula is not manual price control”.