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

The United Kingdom will allocate £142 million (over EUR 160 million) in aid to support Ukraine this winter.

The European Commission has announced additional EUR 40 million in humanitarian aid to help Ukraine prepare for winter.

The European Commission also plans to complete the screening of Ukrainian legislation by the end of September in preparation for the opening of negotiation clusters on Ukraine’s accession to the EU.

Cyprus’ Ambassador to Ukraine Michalis Firillas has assured that his country will make every effort to open negotiation clusters with Ukraine and is cooperating with Denmark and Poland to this end.

The Federal Council of Switzerland is starting consultations on a reconstruction agreement with Ukraine.

Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk has rejected all allegations that Ukraine was behind the incursion of russian drones into his country.

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A bipartisan group of US Senators has introduced a bill to recognize the rf and the rb as state sponsors of terrorism due to the abduction of Ukrainian children.

The EU has agreed to extend personal sanctions against those involved in the rf’s aggression against Ukraine. This was announced by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas. “We just extended our sanctions on russia. At the same time, we are finalising work on the 19th package – looking into additional curbs on russian oil sales, shadow oil tankers, and banks. We’ll keep choking off the cash for putin’s war,” she said.

On September 12, the Government of Japan approved a new package of restrictions related to the war in Ukraine. The sanctions target 47 russian organizations and 9 individuals, including defense companies and entities involved in military activities. The list includes, for example, the Arzamas Machine-Building Plant, the Bryansk Automobile Plant, the Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation, and the private military company “Konvoy”. The list of individuals includes Aimani Kadyrova (Ramzan Kadyrov’s mother, head of the Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation), Vladimir Khromov (advisor to the presidential commissioner for children’s rights), and Alexey Tensin (former leader of the PMC Wagner Centre and Kalashnikov Concern). Besides, sanctions were imposed on a new pioneer organization, the “Movement of the First”, and the “Artek” International Children’s Center, located in Crimea temporarily occupied by the rf. Tokyo also lowered the price cap for russian oil imports from $60 to $47.6 per barrel.

The Government of New Zealand has decided to lower the price cap on russian oil from $60 to $47.6 per barrel. The list of anti-russian sanctions has also been expanded to include 19 individuals and legal entities, as well as 19 tankers. The restrictions apply to individuals and companies involved in the development of chemical weapons, the spread of disinformation, the so-called “shadow fleet”, alternative payment systems, and intermediaries in North Korea and Iran.

“The UK has imposed 100 new sanctions to cut off putin’s sources of income and military supplies. The measures were taken against the background of reckless russian airstrikes that violated NATO airspace in Poland and damaged the building of the Cabinet of Ministers in Kyiv,” the UK Government said in a statement. The sanctions list includes 70 ships used to transport russian oil, as well as 30 companies and individuals. The list includes research institutes, factories, and design bureaus. Sanctions were imposed on the Bryansk Chemical Plant named after the 50th anniversary of the ussr, the chemical industry enterprise “Anosit”, the capacitor manufacturer “Elecond” JSC, the “Ikar” Experimental Design Bureau JSC, and the optoelectronic equipment manufacturer “Proton” JSC.

The European Union’s Commissioner for Energy Dan Jørgensen has said that the EU is sticking to its deadline for phasing out russian oil and gas imports by 2028. According to him, the EU is already working on legislative proposals that would ban short-term supply contracts with russia starting next year.

As part of the development of a new package of sanctions against russia, the Government of the FRG seeks to further restrict the issuance of Schengen visas to russians. Despite the war in Ukraine, wealthy russians can still travel to EU countries for vacation. The Government of Germany wants to change that. Within the framework of the EU’s current planning for a new package of sanctions against the rf, the German Government is advocating for more limited issuance of visas to enter the Schengen area.

The USA may conclude a trade agreement with India as soon as it stops buying oil from russia, – said US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

“russia deliberately attacked Poland – we have facts and evidence to prove it,” said Minister of Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski regarding russian drones on the country’s territory.

The government of the rf has begun to consider options for new tax increases to fill the federal budget, which has faced a sharp decline in oil and gas revenues and has accumulated a deficit of more than 14 trillion rubles over three and a half years of war. The most likely option is a second VAT increase in the last seven years. Until 2019, it was 18 %, now it is 20 %, and officials are considering raising it to 22 %. This decision would mean that the growing hole in the budget would be filled from the pockets of citizens and businesses: the VAT increase would lead to a 2 % rise in prices and a decrease in business profits.

russia has sharply increased its purchases of food abroad amid harvest problems that have led to a potato shortage and a double-digit percentage increase in vegetable prices. In January-July, russia imported $24.3 billion worth of food and food raw materials. Compared to the same period last year, food imports jumped by $3.4 billion, or 15 % – a record among all product groups tracked by customs. This year, for the first time in six years, russia became a net importer of food: its purchases abroad exceeded exports by $3.8 billion. At the beginning of the year, due to a shortage, butter began to be imported from the UAE, India, and Argentina, and then potatoes, in particular from China and Mongolia.

Farmers in southern regions of the rf have faced a 35–50 % decrease in sunflower yields. This is the lowest figure in the last 13 years.

At the same time, Rostov region has introduced a state of emergency in five more districts due to drought, and it is now in effect in 27 districts of the region.

The wear and tear of sewage networks in russia reached 46 % by the end of 2024. Ninety-four thousand kilometers of sewage pipes in the country are considered worn out. The most problems are in the Jewish Autonomous Region (80 % wear and tear), Tyva (79 %), and Kurgan Region (73 %). Almost 60 % of the sewage system in Moscow is worn out.

The “russian army” retail chain will be closed in the near future. All 35 of its stores will cease operations due to unprofitability, and the staff will be laid off.

russians began to be blocked from traveling abroad after the launch of the electronic military registration system and the distribution of electronic summonses.

The cost of summer diesel fuel according to the index of the European part of the rf (is used to calculate the fuel damper for oil companies) has been rising for three weeks in a row, having risen by almost 11 % during this time to 65,632 rubles/ton. At this, sales volumes have been declining for all three weeks.

In Blagoveshchensk, the largest city in Amur Region, a large private gas station chain, Far East Oil Company LLC, has suspended petrol sales at all of its filling stations (which is almost all of the city’s filling stations) until the end of September.

In Tuva, the last oncologist who worked with children has resigned. They have been unable to find a replacement for seven months. In September, the republic’s Ministry of Healthcare responded to an editorial request from a local television channel that the situation with the treatment of children suffering from cancer is a “medical secret”.

At an OSCE meeting, the United Kingdom and 37 other countries issued a joint statement calling for the immediate release of all political prisoners in belarus and an end to large-scale repression against civil society, independent media, and the opposition.

The Government of Poland is ready to consider compensating its industry for losses if the border with belarus remains closed after the “Zapad–2025” strategic military exercise (September 12–16). This was announced by Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration Marcin Kierwiński.

Estonia is restricting flights in the eastern part of the country. The actions are coordinated with Latvia, which has also restricted flights in areas adjacent to the border with russia and belarus.

Minister of the Interior of Lithuania Vladislav Kondratovič has said that his country will currently leave its border crossings with belarus open so as not to create difficulties for European Union citizens who are in the country, but the head of the State Border Guard Service has the right to close them immediately in case of provocation.

Lithuania, which banned the transit of belarusian fertilizers through its territory in 2022, will stick to this position despite possible pressure, – said the country’s new Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė.

In August 2025, 210 new trucks from the Minsk Automobile Plant were sold on the russian market – 2.04 times fewer than in the same month of 2024.