Topic: Sanctions
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Zelensky signs sanctions against former press secretary Mendel and Russian propagandists
President Volodymyr Zelensky on 13 September 2026 enacted personal sanctions imposed by the National Security and Defense Council against his former press secretary Yulia Mendel, the only Ukrainian citizen among 10 individuals in the package. On the same day he signed two further decrees targeting 29 Russian citizens and 29 companies linked to the state corporation Rostec, and 20 vessels of the Russian shadow fleet. The move follows a May 2026 interview in which Mendel repeated Russian-aligned claims to U.S. podcaster Tucker Carlson.
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Ukraine's Sybiha urges strike-by-strike sanctions on Russia at Kyiv briefing with Poland's Sikorski
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, speaking at a joint briefing in Kyiv with Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, called on Western partners to impose new sanctions on Russia after every massive strike on Ukraine rather than waiting for large packages. He proposed an "Anti-Ballistic Package" targeting Russian missile and drone production, said Western-made components continue to end up in Russian weapons, and framed Russian attacks as a threat to the EU and NATO and to Black Sea shipping.
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Germany identifies two suspects in Leipzig airport drone attack, blames Russia
German investigators have named a Belarusian citizen and a Russian linked to Russian military intelligence (GRU) as the main suspects in the 4 August drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport. A drone carrying explosives hidden in a vegetable tin can landed next to a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft but failed to detonate because of a faulty detonator. On 1 September, Germany officially blamed Russia for the incident and announced the closure of the Russian consulate general in Bonn and the termination of the agreement on the "Russian House" in Berlin; Moscow responded by closing the German consulate general in St. Petersburg and Goethe cultural centers.
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Russia launches nearly 500 strike drones at Ukraine on September 12, Zelensky says campaign targets the economy
On September 12, Russia conducted a sustained day-and-night drone barrage of nearly 500 strike drones against Ukraine, hitting railway infrastructure, food warehouses and other civilian economic targets. Ukrainian air defence downed or suppressed 336 of the 410 drones launched during the daytime period. President Zelensky framed the strikes as a deliberate effort to destroy Ukraine's economy and break Ukrainian resistance.
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France backs Slovakia's push to remove Russian oligarch Usmanov from EU sanctions list
France is pushing to remove Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov from the EU personal sanctions list, aligning with a longstanding Slovak demand. The move has caused dissatisfaction among other EU members and comes as ambassadors failed to agree on extending the sanctions regime before a September 15 deadline.
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Ukraine's unmanned forces claim 285 Russian shadow-fleet vessels struck in ten-week Black Sea operation
Commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces Robert 'Madyar' Brovdi says his unit has struck 285 ships of Russia's 'shadow fleet' in the Black and Azov Seas over the ten weeks of operation 'МоЛоЧКа'. He reports that movement through the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait is effectively halted for shadow-fleet vessels, while the northern and northeastern Black Sea is significantly complicated for them.
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Zelensky calls on EU to strengthen sanctions on Russian business, names Fridman and Usmanov
President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the European Union to increase sanctions pressure on Russian business and oligarchs, singling out Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov. His appeal came as Russia has launched nearly 500 strike drones at Ukraine since the morning of September 12, and as EU ambassadors have again failed to agree on extending personal sanctions ahead of a September 15 deadline.
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U.S. House to vote next week on Graham-Blumenthal Russia sanctions bill
The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote next week on the Graham-Blumenthal Russia sanctions bill (H.R. 5334), which would authorize sweeping new sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia's energy sector, defense industry and shadow fleet. The vote follows the recent death of the bill's chief Senate sponsor, Senator Lindsey Graham, and faces bipartisan resistance over its tariff provisions.
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Ukraine's military intelligence names 17 tankers and captains in Russian fuel-import scheme
Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) has publicly identified 17 tankers and their captains — citizens of Russia, China, and India — involved in supplying Russia with over 562,000 tonnes of gasoline and diesel fuel during July–September 2026 via transshipment through Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, and South Korea.
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Ukraine's General Staff confirms strikes on Makhachkala port and Russian ships in Novorossiysk
Ukraine's General Staff confirmed that in the night of 10 September, Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the Makhachkala seaport in Russia's Republic of Dagestan, where a fire was recorded. The General Staff also confirmed strikes on fuel-oil storage facilities in Novorossiysk on 9 September and on at least three Russian naval vessels there, including a minesweeper, a frigate, and a large landing ship.
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EU weighs moving frozen Russian assets to new EU-level custodian to sidestep Belgian objections
European circles are exploring transferring frozen Russian assets from Belgium's Euroclear depository to a new EU-controlled custodian, which would shift legal responsibility from Belgium to the EU as a whole and remove Belgium's objections to using the funds for Ukraine. Ukraine's Foreign and Finance ministries have already submitted concrete proposals to Brussels. The European Commission treats the idea as theoretical, with no draft legislation prepared and several technical questions — legal basis, management structure, loss coverage in case of court rulings in Russia's favor — still open.
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Ukraine tells EU it needs additional $27 billion by year-end, prompting surprise in Europe
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told European partners that Ukraine needs an additional $27 billion by the end of 2026 to cover a defence budget gap. The request, which came during a European visit for Ukraine's Independence Day, surprised officials who had agreed to a $100 billion-plus EU loan earlier in the year. European officials are now examining the size, causes, and justification of the deficit, while Ukraine is also seeking help from the United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan and pressing for the use of frozen Russian sovereign assets held at Euroclear in Brussels.
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Ukraine's military intelligence chief says Russia has resources to wage war through 2027–2028
Head of Ukraine's military intelligence, Oleh Ivashchenko, said in an interview with Ukrinform that Russia is using mercenaries from more than 40 countries and still has enough resources to continue the war through 2027 and 2028, despite a weakened economy, exhausted contract recruitment, and public opposition of more than 60%. He called for sanctions that genuinely work and for international cooperation to cut off supplies of electronics, machinery, and chemicals reaching Russia through intermediary companies.
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Lavrov calls Germany's response to Leipzig drone incident "the beginning of a real war"
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described Germany's reaction to an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport as "the beginning of a real war," drawing an analogy to pre-World War II diplomatic closures. Germany officially accused Russia on September 1 of orchestrating the incident, closed Russia's last consulate general in Bonn, and terminated the agreement for the "Russian House" in Berlin. Russia retaliated by announcing closures of German Goethe-Institut branches. No one was injured and Ukrainian Antonov aircraft were not damaged, though the An-124's cargo remains disputed.
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Ukraine's 2027 budget has $32.6 billion uncovered financing need, finance minister says
Ukraine's Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said the country's 2027 budget faces an uncovered financing need of $32.6 billion — the tightest budget situation since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. He called on European partners to seek additional sources of financing and presented a new proposal to redistribute roughly $300 billion in frozen Russian assets across all 27 EU member states.
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US Treasury Secretary says Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries deepening global energy shock
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil refineries are deepening a global energy shock, in remarks on Fox News following two-day G20 finance ministers' meetings in North Carolina. Bessent attributed the shock both to the war in Ukraine — including Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure — and to the conflict in Iran, and defended his decision to engage with Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov at the meeting.
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Albania bars Russian shadow-fleet tanker HANUMAN from Durrës port
On 29 August, Albania denied the oil tanker HANUMAN, identified by Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) as part of Russia's shadow fleet, entry to the port of Durrës. HUR, which announced the incident publicly on 4 September, framed the refusal as evidence of international sanctions solidarity against Russia.
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Germany to boost Ukraine military aid after blaming Russia for Leipzig airport drone attack
On 1 September Germany formally blamed Russia for a series of drone incidents at Leipzig/Halle airport in August and announced a package of response measures. Berlin plans to supply Ukraine with thousands of strike drones and Iris-T air-defence missiles in September, deepen intelligence cooperation, and push for tougher EU sanctions. Germany also decided to close Russia's consulate in Bonn and terminate the lease of the "Russian House" in Berlin. The AfD in the Bundestag called for investigating a possible "Ukrainian trace," putting it at odds with the government's position.
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Germany accuses Russia of Leipzig drone attack on Ukrainian cargo plane; two suspects identified
On 1 September Germany formally accused Russia of orchestrating the 4–5 August drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport targeting a Ukrainian An-124 cargo aircraft. Investigators have identified two suspects: a Russian-born man with a Latvian passport linked to Russian intelligence, and a Belarusian-Russian citizen who entered the EU on an Italian tourist visa. Berlin announced retaliatory measures, and EU foreign ministers meeting in Ireland discussed tightening visa rules for Russian nationals.
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Russia uses Maldives airport in Malé as sanctions-evasion transit hub, WSJ investigation finds
A Wall Street Journal investigation alleges that Russia is using the international airport in Malé as a transit point to import sanctioned and dual-use goods from the US, Europe, and China. Each morning, an Aeroflot flight lands at Malé, where local intermediaries help process customs before cargo is reloaded onto Aeroflot flights to Moscow. Some shipments reportedly reach sanctioned Russian entities, including S7 Airlines.