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

Finland is allocating EUR 5 million in energy aid to Ukraine.

Prime Minister of Finland Petteri Orpo has ruled out the possibility of gas agreements between European Union countries and russia amid russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine. “As long as russia continues its war of aggression against Ukraine, it is impossible to conclude any agreements with it. Therefore, there will be no gas agreements between the European Union, EU member states, and russia,” he said.

Finland will also transfer 10 Dv12 diesel locomotives and related components to Ukraine to compensate for those lost as a result of russian attacks.

Estonia has announced a new contribution of EUR 10 million to the PURL program for the procurement of weapons for Ukraine.

Denmark has expedited the delivery of over 50,000 rounds of 20-mm ammunition for the onboard cannons of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

Achieving lasting peace in Ukraine is impossible without the full participation of European countries in the negotiation process. This was stated by Federal Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz.

“russia knows that if and when they want effectively to talk about how to obtain a ceasefire, how to protect the civilian people, how to protect energy facilities, they can talk. But look, have you seen any signs from russia that they want to engage seriously on this?” – said President of the European Council António Costa.

Members of the European Parliament have stated that the EU and its member states should consider launching a naval operation in the Black Sea. They have also called on NATO to consider an initiative regarding the Black Sea, specifically the possibility of establishing a so-called “Black Sea Watch”.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Austria has decided to expel four russian diplomats stationed in Vienna for “activities incompatible with their diplomatic status”.

president of the russian wrestling federation mikhail mamiashvili has lost his membership in the United World Wrestling (UWW) Bureau amid European Union sanctions.

russia’s economy is stagnating: in the first half of the year, GDP grew by only 0.6%, while 33.5% of companies became unprofitable. 40% of companies cite the growing number of overdue payments from customers as their main problem.

russian companies are preparing to lay off employees amid a rising tax burden and economic depression. In 2027, 19.3% of organizations – or nearly one in five – plan to streamline their workforce. Another 38.5% do not plan to replace employees who leave voluntarily, 23.1% intend to limit hiring.

The government of the rf plans to raise petrol and diesel prices by additional 2.1 rubles per liter to compensate oil companies for the costs of fuel imports. As of October 19, petrol prices in russia had risen by 20.5% since the beginning of the year. This is 3.3 times higher than the official inflation rate, which stood at 6.15%. The price of diesel fuel rose by 13.4% over the same period.

russia’s vehicle fleet is gradually aging, and as used cars depreciate in value, they are moving from major cities to the regions. The market is developing according to a “Cuban scenario”, in which cars are used for decades, as stated by “sberbank”’s senior managing director mikhail matovnikov. As of July 1, 2026, the average age of a passenger car in russia was 15.4 years. At the beginning of the year, 69% of such cars in the country were more than ten years old.

“avtovaz” is preparing for a 20–25% drop in sales due to the fact that the budget has run out of funds for subsidized auto loans.

In 2027, the volume of auto loans issued at russian car dealerships will decline by 40–60%.

According to the results of the first half of 2026, the volume of net investments in leasing and assets under operating leases in the rf decreased by 14%.

The potato harvest in russia fell by 8.7%. In September, the average retail price was 51 rubles per kilogram – by 28.8% higher than last year.

From January through June, sales of home improvement products in the rf declined by 4.7%.

The state duma has rejected at once three “social” draft laws, which proposed measures to support underfunded segments of the population: free public transportation for students, additional pay for professors at regional universities, and additional pay for scholars holding the previously existing but subsequently abolished academic degrees of Candidate of Sciences and Doctor of Sciences.

russia’s authorities have decided to transfer subscribers of independent internet service providers to large state-owned companies following the cessation of operations by these providers or the revocation of their licenses.

russian telecommunications operators will not be able to phase out foreign base stations in the near future, as required by the authorities – there is no russian-made equipment available on the market.

belarus ranks 20th among countries in terms of debt to China. Among European countries, Serbia is the only other nation on the list besides belarus.

Over the past five years, the return on sales in belarus has fallen from 8.2% to 6.9%.

Since February 2022, at least 419 people in belarus – including 73 women – have been convicted for supporting Ukraine. Of these, 142 are currently in custody.