Sergei Shoigu
Sergei Shoigu is a Russian statesman and military figure who served as Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation from 2012 to 2024. A General of the Army, he previously headed the Ministry of Emergency Situations before joining the federal government. In 2024 he was moved to the post of Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation and later appointed to head the CIS Interstate Council for Defence.
-
EU renews Ukraine-related sanctions for three years, removes Usmanov and Fridman; Azerbaijan's Aliyev pardons French detainee Martin Ryan
On 22 September 2026, the Council of the European Union extended its Ukraine-related sanctions regime by 36 months, until 22 September 2029. At the same time, the EU removed Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the list. The day after, on 23 September, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree pardoning 20 people, including French citizen Martin Ryan, who had been sentenced to ten years in prison for espionage in March 2026. Reports link France's push for Usmanov's delisting to a non-public arrangement with Azerbaijan over French detainees, including Ryan. Ukraine said it was not consulted and called the decision "shameful".