April 29, 2025 Ukraine and the World – Against russia’s Aggression. Sanctions in Action

Minister of Defence of Germany Boris Pistorius has assured Ukraine of further military assistance, even if the USA stops supporting it.

As part of the Czech initiative, Ukraine has already received 400,000 rounds of ammunition from the beginning of the year to the end of April, and funding for new purchases is available till the autumn.

“Europe’s security begins in Ukraine. The security of Europe and Ukraine cannot be separated. We have decided to significantly increase our investments in defense. Investing more in defense means investing more in our economy and potential for research and innovation,” said President of the European Council Antonio Costa.

The United States must “make it clear to mr. putin that we are willing to turn him and his country into fish food”, said Republican Senator John Kennedy, commenting on the progress of negotiations after the end of the war in Ukraine and continuation of russian strikes on civilian targets.

The US Department of State has stated that it is concerned about north korea’s direct involvement in russia’s war against Ukraine and emphasized that pyongyang’s military deployment to russia must stop. The South Korean Government has supported the statement of its colleagues.

russia’s military cooperation with north korea, in particular in support of its illegal aggression against Ukraine, is a manifestation of desperation on the part of russia, which is isolated and weakened by EU sanctions. This was stated by European Commission Spokesperson Anitta Hipper.

russia’s military spending increased by almost 38 % over the year, to $149 billion. Compared to 2015, the volume of such expenditures has doubled. Last year, defense spending amounted to 7.1 % of russia’s GDP.

In early May, russians will face a significant rise in the cost of construction materials, with prices likely to increase by 15-20 %.

Amid the changes in “rosseti”’s tariffs for the use of infrastructure, cases of cutting wires suspended on power transmission line supports to connect private homes to the internet have become more frequent in the rf.

Since the beginning of 2024, russian “patriotic” activists and organizations have written at least 350 public denunciations. The count includes denunciations from head of the “safe internet league” yekaterina mizulina, head of the “federal public broadcasting company” vitaly borodin, and the “zov naroda”, “russkaya obshchina” and “sorok sorokov” movements. The greatest number of denunciations in less than 16 months was written by the organization “sorok sorokov” (about 130). Also among the leaders in terms of the number of public demands to punish someone are mizulina (almost 80) and “zov naroda” (over 50). Mizulina’s denunciations proved to be the most effective: after 60-65 % of her appeals, cases were opened against people and organizations or inspections were conducted. borodin was the anti-leader, with less than 40 % of his denunciations having been heard.

In russia, a website has been created where pro-government activists keep a list of critics of the regime and the war against Ukraine. The platform is called “russophobes,” and one can find data on both well-known personalities and less-known ones who criticize, for example, the militarization of childhood in the country. Some of the data were taken from the registers of the russian ministry of justice. Individuals are included in the “enemies” section and conditionally divided into the categories of “anti-russian figures,” “fugitive intellectuals,” “fleeing oligarchs,” “hostile propagandists”, “initiators of sanctions,” etc. The profile of each of the defendants, (almost 150 people), contains the reasons for their inclusion. There is a separate list of organizations called “enemy” organizations. Those include, among others, USAID, the British Council and almost sixty other associations.

Only 36 subjects of the rf have enough money to purchase all the school textbooks.

Deputy Minister of National Defence of Poland Cezary Tomczyk has said that his country will respond adequately to the russian-belarusian “zapad” exercise scheduled for September.

Latvia’s State Security Service (VDD) has publicly reported on 32 people detained since 2016 on suspicion of espionage and other national security threatening actions in favor of russia or belarus.

UEFA’s decision to hold the final tournament of the European Futsal Championship in Latvia and Lithuania is expected at the next meeting of the Executive Committee in early May, – Vadim Lyashenko told the portal of the Latvian Football Federation. According to him, the participation of the belarusian national team in Latvia is currently unacceptable. He has not ruled out the possibility that Latvia will not participate in the final tournament either.

In January-February 2025, 23.8 % of all enterprises in belarus (excluding small businesses) were unprofitable, which is by 4.8 % more than in the first two months of 2024 (19 %). In minsk, their number increased by 6.8 % over the year (from 24.7 % to 31.5 %).

The coronavirus epidemic was recorded in the Ivatsevichi correctional colony No. 22 “volchyi nory” (“wolf holes” – Transl.). Whole units of prisoners are ill, but they are not allowed to complain. The colony’s medical unit is short of medicines and treats prisoners with paracetamol as if they had a common cold.