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

US President Donald Trump has said that after the war in Gaza ends, attention should be focused on ending russia’s war against Ukraine.

Chancellor of the FRG Friedrich Merz has called for an end to russia’s war against Ukraine and has said he hopes US President Donald Trump will help achieve peace.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany Johann Wadephul has called on US President Donald Trump to continue pressuring putin to end russia’s war against Ukraine.

“By bombing a city hospital in Kharkiv with a guided aerial bomb, russia has sunk to a new level of barbarism. It is demonstrating utter disregard for human life by targeting people receiving vital medical care,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Margus Tsahkna.

Denmark has offered to host Ukrainian weapons production on its territory in order to ramp up arms production for the needs of Ukraine’s defense.

Slovenia has joined the PURL program, under which allies jointly purchase American weapons for Ukraine.

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UK’s MI5 has issued a warning to Members of Parliament that they are being targeted by spies from China, russia, and Iran who are trying to undermine democracy in the country.

“russia’s undemocratic regime poses a significant threat to the Schengen area and EU countries. It is therefore extremely important to prevent participants in the war against Ukraine and individuals who sympathize with the russian regime from infiltrating the societies of EU member states,” at a meeting of the EU Council on Justice and Home Affairs, Estonia’s Minister of the Interior Igor Taro drew his colleagues’ attention to the problem of the growing number of Schengen visas issued to russian citizens

Minister of Defence of Belgium Theo Francken believes that strict state control makes the russian defense industry less effective than the Ukrainian model, where there is room for creativity.

Germany will support Romania and Bulgaria in countering threats from russia.

The International Energy Agency predicts that the impact of Ukrainian drone attacks will limit oil refining volumes at russian refineries until at least mid-2026.

Spain is ready to completely give up russian gas by 2027.

India’s state-owned oil refineries reduced their purchases of russia’s oil by more than 45  % from June to September.

At the end of September, China’s exports to russia in yuan terms plummeted by 21 %.

The International Monetary Fund has again lowered its forecast for russia’s economic growth in 2025, now by 0.3 %, from 0.9% to 0.6%.

In September 2025, russia reduced rail shipments of fuel oil for export through ports and border crossings by 14.6 % in daily terms compared to the previous month.

russian filling stations may be prohibited from raising prices amid the petrol shortage.

In September, only 643 new trucks with a gross weight of over 3.5 tons were delivered to russia. This is 20 times fewer than in September last year.

By October, the average price of cider in non-chain retail stores had risen by 26 % year-on-year. The price increase is due to the rise in the cost of production and the price of technical apples used in the production of the drink. Due to a poor harvest, the wholesale price of technical apples rose by about 40 %.

russian banks have sharply reduced the issuance of credit cards to russians: in September, applicants received 1.29 million credit cards with a total limit of 141.51 billion rubles. Compared to August, the number of issuances decreased by 12 %, and the total limit – by 35 %.

The government commission on legislative activity has approved amendments that provide for an increase in the enforcement fee from 7 % to 12 %. In addition to the rate increase, the fee will be withheld simultaneously with each debt payment, rather than after full repayment, as is currently the case.

Authorities in most russian regions plan to “adjust” reduced rates for regional and local taxes and cut certain benefits. The plans include “raising local taxes to maximum rates”. This applies in particular to land tax and personal property tax rates.

In 2024, production of TV sets in russia amounted to 2.7 million units. This figure is by 26 % lower compared to 2023. The situation is not expected to improve in 2025.

russia has missed its deadlines for the construction of tankers and ships. Of the 57 ships needed, only 27 are currently available.

Prisoners’ wages in russia have risen sharply over the past six years. While in 2019, convicts were paid an average of 14,700 rubles per month, in 2025, they will be paid 33,000 rubles. The declared salaries of prisoners are 1.5 times higher than the salaries of teachers in most regions of russia. In 73 regions of the rf, school employees receive less than the minimum wage, which in 2025 is 22,440 rubles. In particular, in 70 regions, wages do not reach 20,000 rubles.

In russia, the problem of a shortage of qualified personnel in the healthcare system continues to worsen. The medical sector is experiencing a more acute shortage of personnel than other sectors, with 90 % of organizations reporting a shortage of employees. Construction ranks second in terms of staff shortages (83 %), followed by sales and services (80 % each), logistics (79 %), information technology (78 %), and the financial sector (76 %). Overall, 78% of employers have reported difficulties in hiring staff.

Prices for medicines have risen sharply in russia: in January-August of this year, the weighted average cost of a package of medicine was 416 rubles, which is by 13.6 % more than in the same period in 2024. The price increase was 3.5 times higher than the overall inflation rate.

In order to reduce healthcare costs, russians should be given the opportunity to buy pills per item rather than in packs, said Airat Farrakhov, a member of the state duma committee on budget and taxes.

Only 24 % of russians assess their current financial situation as good.

In the first six months of 2025, russian courts handed down 597 verdicts in terrorism cases. A total of 659 people were involved in those cases. On average, the courts handed down more than five verdicts every working day.

Chairman of the presidential council for human rights Valery Fadeev has sent a letter to the ministry of internal affairs asking it to pay attention to the practice of using state registration plates without the russian tricolor on cars. “It is difficult to understand what motivates the owners of such cars. Is the owner showing contempt for the russian state, rejecting secular authority, or calling for separatism or something similar? In any case, this is a reason to pay attention to such citizens,” said Fadeev.

The mortality rate in the Altai Republic has exceeded the birth rate since 2024. The main causes are external, including drunk driving accidents and poisoning, primarily with alcohol, as well as medical causes such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

In January–August, belarus increased food imports by 23.5 %.

In September 2025, 231 new MAZ trucks were sold on the russian market – by 31.2 % fewer than in the same month of 2024.