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

The government of Norway has proposed increasing financial support to Ukraine in 2026 by NOK 15 billion, bringing the total amount of aid next year to at least NOK 85 billion (approximately $8.6 billion).

The United Kingdom has provided Ukraine with more than 85,000 military drones in the first six months of this year. The government of the country has allocated £600 million for this purpose.

According to the Netherland’s Minister of Defense Ruben Brekelmans, in the near future, his country will finance a new EUR 90 million package of aid for the production of reconnaissance and strike drones in Ukraine.

Minister of Defence of Estonia Hanno Pevkur has said that his country will transfer drones worth tens of millions of euros to Ukraine this week and will join the Nordic–Baltic Eight’s package of aid.

Lithuania has announced its joining NATO’s Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, which provides for the purchase of weapons from the USA for transfer to Ukraine. The Lithuanian government has allocated $30 million for these needs.

The Minister of Defense of Finland has announced that his country has decided to join the PURL initiative, which involves purchasing weapons from the USA and transfer them  to Ukraine.

“Our expectation today is that even more countries will make additional contributions, purchase even more, to provide Ukraine with everything it needs for a peaceful end to this conflict,” said US Secretary of Defence Pete Hagseth regarding the PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List) initiative to transfer weapons to Ukraine.

65 % of Canadians surveyed support increasing military aid to Ukraine and expanding training for Ukrainian military servicemen.

President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Pere Joan Pons has appointed Swedish MP Karina Ödebrink as Special Representative on the issue of russia’s abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children.

Ukraine and the United Nations Development Program have signed a financial agreement launching the Renewable Energy Solutions Initiative. This project, with a total cost of EUR 16.5 million, involves the installation of solar panels, heat pumps, and battery systems in social infrastructure facilities such as schools, hospitals, and kindergartens.

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“Today, the United Kingdom and NATO countries are meeting to strengthen our response to russia’s aggression. putin’s incursions into NATO’s territory are reckless, dangerous, and completely unacceptable,” said UK Defense Secretary John Gilli before the start of the North Atlantic Council meeting at the level of Ministers of Defence in Brussels.

The UK has imposed a new package of sanctions against russian oil giants “lukoil” and “rosneft”, as well as against 51 tankers of the so-called “shadow fleet” of the rf. Sanctions have also been imposed on JSC National Payment Card System (NSPK, operator of “mir” cards), russian credit organizations: Baltic Bank Of Development, Solid Bank, Transstroybank, and Primsotsbank, the Indian company Nayara Energy, co-owned by “Rosneft”, and the Chinese National Pipeline Group Beihai Liquefied Natural Gas CO LTD, operator of an LNG terminal.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Radosław Sikorski has said that Europe must be prepared for possible russia’s attacks on the continent.

“If russia and vladimir putin decide to test Germany’s borders, Germany will respond decisively,” said Minister of Defence of the FRG Boris Pistorius.

European Commissioner for Economic Affairs Valdis Dombrovskis has said that russia’s war against Ukraine is harmful to American businesses.

US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent has said that the United States is ready to work with other G7 countries to increase pressure on russia.

Authorities of Latvia have changed the procedure for crossing the border with russia and belarus. It is now impossible to cross the border without prior registration. An electronic queue booking system is already in place in Estonia and Lithuania.

Almost 7,000 trucks carrying 77,000 tons of goods from China have been unable to cross the border with russia for a month. The cargo was traveling through Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan but got stuck due to tighter controls on “gray” cargo transportation. Clothing, electronics, consumer goods, and sometimes even items prohibited for official import, such as military goods, drones, or hazardous chemicals, were being shipped to russia through such channels.

The number of the rf’s coal companies in the red zone has increased to 53 from 30 in April, – said deputy minister of energy Dmitry Islamov.

russian IT companies may start going bankrupt en masse and leaving the market after the government’s planned tax increase. Starting in 2026, the russian government plans to abolish VAT exemptions for domestic software, double insurance contributions for IT company employees to 15 %, and reduce the revenue threshold for commercial organizations eligible for the simplified taxation system from 60 million to 10 million rubles per year. The tax burden on IT companies will effectively increase sixfold (from 5 % to 30 % of revenue).

russian software developers will raise the prices of their products by 30–35 % to compensate for the tax burden after the amendments to the rf’s Tax Code are adopted.

The ministry of economic development of the rf proposes lifting of restrictions on overtime work.

Members of the state duma have proposed introducing a new mandatory income tax of 5  % for private clinics.

The average retail price of salted herring in russia for the period from January to September 2025 increased by 28 % compared to the same period last year.

Over the past year, since October 2024, nearly 900 furniture shops have closed in russian cities with a population of 500,000 or more. Over the year, the number of such shops has decreased by approximately 8.7 %. The reason for the mass closure of furniture shops was a general decline in the market.

The shortage of staff in the Federal Penitentiary Service is almost 30 %. In some regions, the shortage of junior staff reaches 70 %.

The number of legal entities engaged in the trade of clothing, footwear, and accessories in russia has decreased by 4.3 % over the year.

A significant part of russian society fears the return of participants in the invasion of Ukraine. According to a sociological study, 39 % of respondents expect an increase in conflicts and crime when participants of the war return home.

russians were offered soviet-style birth certificates to instill “a sense of patriotism and pride in the country”.

Kaliningrad region has faced difficulties with fuel – such as rising prices  and a temporary absence of AI-92 petrol at some filling stations. The cost of diesel fuel has exceeded 72 rubles for a liter, and AI-95 petrol costs more than 67.4 rubles for a liter. These figures are among the highest in the country.

moscow’s budget deficit for 2026 is projected at 447.6 billion rubles, although it was originally planned to be 353.1 billion rubles.

The head of the Yakutsk public chamber has accused the West of promoting smoking through soviet cartoons in order to seize russian natural resources.

Salekhard’s authorities have sent reindeer skins instead of heaters to participants in the war in Ukraine.

belarus ranks 66th in the Passport  Power  Ranking. With a belarusian  passport, one may visit 80 countries without a visa. In January 2025, the country ranked 62nd, and before that – 61st.

The International Monetary Fund has revised its forecast for belarus’ economy. Compared to its previous analysis, its expectations have worsened. According to the IMF’s expectations, the economy of the rb may grow by 2.1 % in 2025 and by 1.4 % in 2026. In the previous forecast, growth was projected at 2.8 % and 2 %, respectively. Earlier in October this year, the World Bank lowered its forecast for the belarusian economy, expecting the country’s GDP to grow by 1.9 % in 2025 and by 1.3 % in 2026. This estimate is lower than in June, when Belarus’ GDP was expected to grow by 2.2 % and 1.2 %, respectively.

There are new raids in belarus: relatives of political prisoners and those who helped them are being detained. Nine more people have been recognized as political prisoners in the country. There are now 1,229 of them.