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

The Council of the European Union has finalized the 21st package of sanctions against russia. Specifically, the “blacklist” includes 48 individuals and 170 companies and organizations from the financial, oil, and military-industrial sectors, as well as propagandists. “We are targeting more than 100 banks and cryptocurrency operators, more than 40 vessels in russia’s ‘shadow fleet’,  as well as several oil refineries in russia and belarus. The list includes more than 50 companies in the military-industrial complex – key players in the production of russian long-range unmanned aerial vehicles. russia will only agree to negotiations to end its illegal war and the killing of civilians under pressure. Sanctions are increasing that pressure,” said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy  Kaja Kallas.

The EU’s new package of anti-russian sanctions is aimed at putting pressure on a strategic sector of russia’s economy – the oil industry. Amid ongoing instability in the Middle East, the price cap on russian oil could have risen from $44 to $58 per barrel, which would potentially have increased the kremlin’s revenues. Instead, officials in Brussels agreed to keep the price cap at $44 for another year.

“The new sanctions package significantly increases pressure on the russian financial sector and further restricts russia’s access to capital markets. However, negotiations on the 21st package have shown that decisions regarding the EU’s sanctions policy are increasingly determined by the economic interests of member states,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Kęstutis Budrys.

The Alliance has officially integrated Ukraine’s Navy into NATO’s command and control system for maritime mine countermeasures.

The European Commission welcomes any US  efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. “From the very beginning, we have welcomed the USA’s  efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace, and we are in constant contact with our American colleagues,” emphasized European Commission Spokesperson Anouar el Anouni.

80% of Poles believe that the conflict between Ukraine and Poland primarily benefits russia.

The US  Senate may consider a bill on new sanctions against russia as early as next week.

The USA  has imposed new tariffs on 60 trading partners, including russia. A 12.5% tariff on russian goods took effect on July 24.

The Pentagon has published a list of foreign organizations that pose a threat to the USA’s  national security in the scientific sphere. The list includes 130 scientific and educational organizations from russia, China, and iran. The list includes thirty-three educational institutions from russia. Among them –  moscow state university (mgu), bauman moscow state technical university (mgtu), moscow aviation institute (mai), moscow institute of physics and technology (mfti), higher school of economics, ural federal university, astrakhan state university, kuznetsov naval academy, and others.

“We have seen all too clearly that russia deceived us for many years and continues to pose an existential threat to our security. The “iskander” missiles that russia has deployed in kaliningrad would need only a few minutes to reach Berlin. This is part of today’s strategic reality in Europe,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany Johann Wadephul.

Latvia’s  Parliament has passed a new law banning the import of books, newspapers, video games, sporting goods, toys, as well as clothing and footwear from the rf  and the rb.

moscow mortgages have been recognized as the least affordable in Europe. To make a monthly mortgage payment, apartment owners need to have 4.5 times the average total household income. nizhny novgorod ranks second, st. petersburg – third. Meanwhile, mortgages in Berlin are 10 times more affordable.

In the first half of 2026, the number of registrations of companies specializing in funeral services in russia increased by 22.5% year-on-year.

At least ten major russian brands have already held sales with discounts of up to 90% since the beginning of 2026. One-third of russian fashion retailers ended 2025 with losses. The overall market for clothing, footwear, and accessories in the rf shrank by 5%.

russian employers have become less likely to consider candidates with criminal records as potential employees. Only 9% of companies are willing to hire such individuals, which is  by 8% fewer than a year earlier.

One of moscow’s largest coffee shop chains, “kofemania”,  has closed a quarter of its locations due to a drop in foot traffic. As of the end of the second quarter of 2026, the chain operated 42 locations in the capital, compared to 55 a year earlier.

Widows of  the “special military operation” veterans and people with disabilities will be able to undergo IVF treatment free of charge using their husbands’ biological material for five years after their deaths.

In the second quarter of this year, russians showed by 26% more interest in new messaging apps than during the same period last year. The Turkish messaging app BiP showed the largest audience growth: in April–June, the number of unique users from russia (MAU) increased by 120% compared to the first quarter, reaching 4.3 million. The American app Imo remains the leader in terms of the absolute number of russian users among foreign messaging apps. In the second quarter, its user base stood at 12.2 million – by 1% more than in  the first quarter.

The EU aligned its new sanctions against belarus with the 21st  package of anti-russian sanctions. The mozyr oil refinery, a “european trading company”,  and several defense industry enterprises were added to the “blacklist”. The European Union also expanded the list of companies prohibited from supplying dual-use goods and technologies. These include the “rogachev ‘diaprojector’ plant”,  the “display” design bureau, and the “body-frame plant”.