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

The United Kingdom has announced 70 new sanctions targeting, in particular, russia’s “shadow fleet”, supply chains for military procurement, and illicit financing networks used to circumvent sanctions. Britain has also stepped  up pressure on those suspected of facilitating illegal oil trade that benefits the putin regime, imposing additional sanctions against ship insurers and other companies involved in transportation by sea. Notably, the UK became the first G7 country to impose sanctions on several liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers recently purchased by russia at significant cost to serve the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project, which is responsible for exporting millions of tons of LNG.

Canada has expanded its list of sanctions against russia. Specifically, the restrictions now apply to stock, commodity, and currency exchanges in moscow and st. petersburg. Additionally, following the United Kingdom’s lead, Canada has imposed sanctions on tankers transporting russian LNG.

The Council of the EU decided to extend the sanctions imposed by the European Union in response to russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol until June 23, 2027.

As a result of the sanctions, one of the world’s largest certification authorities has begun revoking SSL certificates from russian companies. 15,000 to 20,000 domains have already been revoked. And this is just the beginning.

Finland and Sweden have proposed tightening the rules for issuing Schengen visas to russian citizens.

The United Kingdom will ensure the continued operation of Ukrainian nuclear power plants over the next two years thanks to 210 million pounds in support from UK Export Finance.

The European Union will allocate EUR 75 million in grant aid for the reconstruction of the new safe confinement at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

President of France Emmanuel Macron has stated that one of the goals of the G7 summit in Évian should be to increase pressure on russia over its attacks on the civilian population of Ukraine.

Increasing pressure also means isolating russia on the international stage. In particular, russian propaganda should not be allowed to exploit sports and culture for its own purposes. This was stated by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaia Kallas. “At a time when russia is bombing cathedrals, Europe must not roll out the ‘red carpet’ for russian artists and athletes who support the kremlin’s war. Culture and sports must not be used as tools to whitewash aggression,” the EU High Representative emphasized.

The opening of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine is a landmark event not only for Ukraine itself but also for all of Europe. This was stated by Marilena Rauna, the Deputy Minister for European Affairs of Cyprus, which currently holds the EU Council presidency. She pointed out that the start of negotiations with Ukraine is proof that the European project remains “the greatest force for transformation and hope,” and also serves as a signal of European unity.

Lithuania’s Seimas is considering a ban on performances by artists who have visited the rf and belarus.

During his first visit to Ukraine, Minister of Defence of Latvia Raivis Melnis handed over 14 armored vehicles from the Latvian government to the military of the 3rd Army Corps.

In the first week of June, oil refining volumes in the rf fell below 4 million barrels per day, reaching their lowest level in the past 21 years.

“tatneft” has restricted fuel sales at all filling stations in russia.

Following the sharp rise in petrol and diesel prices hitting historic highs, a significant price surge has occurred in the russian jet fuel market. The wholesale price of jet fuel has exceeded 110,000 rubles per metric ton for the first time in history.

The fuel shortage, which has already affected 25 regions of russia and caused problems with refueling equipment ahead of the harvest in the south of the country, has spread to irkutsk region.

The fuel crisis in the temporarily occupied Crimea has begun to affect the tourist season. Owners of hotels, guesthouses, wineries, and tour operators report a sharp increase in the number of canceled bookings: 80% of booked stays for June have been canceled.

In russia, the number of regions facing budget deficits continues to rise: by the end of the first quarter of 2026, 56 regions were facing budget shortfalls, compared to 46 during the same period last year. Thus, two-thirds of regions are already experiencing a shortage of funds. At this, in the first quarter of 2022, when the russian army launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, deficits were recorded in only 6 regions.

Sugar production in russia will decline by 10.7% next season. This is due to a reduction in sugar beet acreage and a limited sales market.

The ministry of finance of the rf plans to reduce the share of subsidized mortgages in housing loans from the current 90% to 25–30% over the next three years.

In russia, the number of new companies registered in the dental sector from January through May fell by 25.7% compared to the same period last year, while the overall growth rate declined by 61.3%.

vice president of the association of russian automobile dealers andrei petrenko has stated that russia’s auto market is shifting toward domestic brands, and by the end of the decade, foreign cars will become a luxury accessible only to a few russians.

Accommodation at russian health resorts rose in price by 22% over the year, at vacation homes – by 16%, at villas – by 15%, and at suburban hotels – by 11%.

The ministry of emergency situations of the rf has reported a shortage of more than 200,000 firefighters in the country.

Oligarch yevtushenkov has stated that all russian students should be sent to work at plants and factories.

Repression in belarus is aimed at the systematic restructuring of the cultural sphere, the education system, language use, and historical narratives. This conclusion was reached by UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the rb Niels Muižnieks.

Lithuania has lodged a strong protest with belarus over the designation of the European Humanities University as an “extremist organization”. Lithuania demands that this decision be revoked and warns of political and diplomatic measures at the EU level.

belarus’ economy is losing jobs, but workers are leaving the manufacturing and transportation sectors particularly quickly. From January through April, 219,000 people were laid off across the country. Clothing and textile manufacturers are cutting staff the most.

Corporate debt in the rb rose by 11.2% year-on-year from January through April, exceeding 123 billion rubles.