April 12, 2025 Ukraine and the World – Against russia’s Aggression. Sanctions in Action

During the meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in the Ramstein format on April 11, the participating states promised to increase military assistance to Ukraine for a total of EUR 21 billion.

UK Secretary of State for Defence John Healey has said that 2025 will be a critical year in the war against russia, calling on the allies to quickly increase military support for Ukraine. “The UK will spend £4.5 billion on military support for Ukraine this year, the highest ever. Today I am announcing £350 million (over €400 million) to ensure that this support reaches Ukrainian fighters on the frontline. This package includes radar systems, anti-tank mines and hundreds and thousands of new drones,” he said. Healy also added that 150 million pounds sterling (over EUR 170 million) will be allocated for the repair and maintenance of military equipment. “We stand with you in the fight and we stand with you in the peace,” Healey concluded.

The United Kingdom is considering deploying troops to Ukraine for five years under plans being discussed by allies.

Minister of Defence of Germany Boris Pistorius has announced a new tranche of military aid to Ukraine, which will include four IRIS-T air defense missile systems with 300 guided missiles, 15 Leopard 1A5 tanks, 300 reconnaissance UAVs, 120 man-portable air defense systems, 14 artillery systems, 100 ground surveillance radars, 30 PATRIOT guided missiles, 25 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, and 100,000 rounds of ammunition. Pistorius has also announced the prospects of supplying new Iris-T systems in the coming years, as well as 1,100 additional ground surveillance radars.

Germany has announced the creation of an Electronic Warfare Coalition to support Ukraine in such areas as ensuring its communications, reconnaissance and disruption of enemy communications, protection against drones, and improving the effectiveness of its own weapons systems.

Ukraine will receive £100 million in military aid from Norway through the International Fund for Ukraine. Norway will also help equip the Armed Forces with modern weapons, armored vehicles, and other technological solutions.

Lithuania intends to provide an additional EUR 20 million for Ukraine to purchase ammunition.

The Coalition of the Resolute led by the United Kingdom and France has four main objectives for Ukraine’s future reassurance forces: safe skies, safe seas, peace on land, and a strong Ukrainian Army.

The EU will allocate EUR 1 billion as part of a EUR 2.1 billion tranche of revenues from frozen russian assets, which the EU intends to receive in the near future, to strengthen Ukraine’s defense industry according to the “Danish model.”

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The United Kingdom intends to support the initiative to create an international tribunal to prosecute putin based on the Nuremberg trials model.

US senators have submitted to Congress a bill on strengthening control over compliance with sanctions against russia’s “shadow” fleet, which transports three-quarters of all oil exported from the rf. According to the bil, the US authorities will have the right to confiscate oil from ships that are on the US Treasury’s blacklist. In this case, the raw materials will be sold, and the proceeds will be used to repay the US national debt.

Estonia has detained the oil tanker Kiwala, a vessel from the russian “shadow fleet” that exports russian crude oil and oil products to third countries. The sanctioned vessel was heading to the russian port of Ust-Luga. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Margus Tsahkna has pointed out that this proves that coordinated steps by the allied countries bordering the Baltic Sea are working, and that they are protecting the environment and maritime security. This is the first vessel of the “shadow fleet” detained by Estonia, so Tsahkna praised the actions of the Estonian Defense Forces.

The Prosecutor General of the Netherlands has recommended that the Supreme Court dismiss russia's cassation appeal in the case of recovering $50 billion in favor of former YUKOS shareholders.

The total external debt of the rf in the first quarter of 2025 increased by $22.1 billion, or by 7.6 %, to $312.4 billion from $290.3 billion.

The number of car loans issued in February 2025 in the rf amounted to just under 70 thousand, showing a decrease of 42.2 % year-on-year. The volume in money decreased by more than 50 % compared to February 2024 and amounted to RUB 84 billion.

In the first quarter of 2025, exports of russian vegetable oils decreased by 27 % year-on-year to 1.46 million tons. The main decline was in sunflower oil (-38 %, to 909 thousand tons), whose profitability became negative due to rising raw material prices and high duties.

russia’s exports of IT solutions continue to decline for the fourth year in a row. Last year, the figure decreased by $1 billion. The main barriers to exports remain sanctions, blocking of payments and lack of personnel.

Leasing companies in russia, following dealers, have faced a surplus of automotive vehicles. The volume of repossessions of cars from customers has increased amid a decline in business solvency. As a result, the stockpile is estimated at a record 30 thousand units, with the truck segment accounting for almost 50 %.

In russia, the demand for truck drivers fell by 87.5 % due to the bankruptcies of freight carriers.

Since the beginning of 2025, planes of russian companies have broken down in the air and sent out distress calls at least 10 times. Between December 1 and January 20, 11 airliners suffered engine failures, including eight Boeing and Airbus aircraft and three Superjets. The problems began after russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Western sanctions on the russian aviation industry. In 2024 alone, there were 208 air incidents, by a quarter more than in 2023. Almost every second incident was related to engine failure or landing gear breakdowns.

More than 100 dead dolphins were found on the Black Sea coast in March after a fuel oil spill.

New literature textbooks for russian schools do not mention the Ukrainian origin of the writer Nikolai Gogol and Ukraine in general.

In Krasnoyarsk, a local resident was prosecuted under the article on public calls for terrorism for commenting on a statement by propagandist Margarita Simonyan, who suggested a nuclear explosion over Siberia. “We need to blow up moscow, or even better, the kremlin,” the man reacted. For this comment, he faces a prison term of up to seven years.

“The current belarusian authorities have led the country to the full integration in the military sphere with russia, and it is known who plays the main role in this merger. Lukashenko’s system itself leads to secondary sovietization and weakens belarus,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Radosław Sikorski.

The shortage of personnel continues to grow in the rb. As of April 11, the country as a whole needed just over 198 thousand workers. For comparison, as of March 3, 188.7 thousand people were needed, and in mid-January – almost 182.3 thousand.

Lukashenko’s regime is ready to bring up to 150 thousand Pakistanis to belarus.

minsk's “atlant” home appliance plant is planning to go into production downtime. Meanwhile, the plant needs several hundred employees.