Eastern Europe / Features
Europe overtakes US as main supplier of military aid to Ukraine
Europe, including the United Kingdom, has outstripped the United States in total military aid to Ukraine for the first time since mid-2022, with a growing share of support sourced directly from defence industry production rather stockpiles.
Russia’s Rosstat decides to hide increasing bleak income and retail figures from the public
In July Rosstat declared it will withhold data on monthly retail, wholesale trade, income, and salary data from its June release. Analysts say the reason is those numbers paint an increasingly bleak picture.
Indian opposition blames government on Trump threats
Under President Donald Trump’s second term his administration has taken a much more hawkish stance that Indian purchases enable Russia to weather sanctions and indirectly fund its war effort
Can India dump Russian oil imports completely if Trump’s secondary sanctions appear?
Since early 2024 India has typically bought 1.5–2.0 mbpd of Russian crude, or about 35–40% of its total imports. US President Donald Trump is threatening crushing 100% tariffs on Russia’s business partners if they continue to import crude.
India’s refiners face pressure as EU sanctions hit $14bn fuel exports
India’s petroleum exports to the European Union—valued at $14–15bn annually—are under threat following the EU’s latest sanctions package targeting Russian crude and its derivatives.
Russia-Azerbaijan crisis continues to deepen
The diplomatic crisis between Russia and Azerbaijan has expanded into cultural warfare, with Moscow dismissing a senior TASS executive for attending an Azerbaijani event.
Who are the men linked to corruption allegations dogging Zelenskiy’s government?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is facing mounting scrutiny over his decision to curb the independence of the country’s top anti-corruption bodies – provoking the largest domestic protests since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said there are signs Russo-Ukraine war could stop soon as fatigue builds
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on July 30 that there are “many signs” that suggest the war in Ukraine may soon be at least temporarily halted but warned that even a ceasefire would not change Poland’s policy of building up its army.
KSE: Russia’s military-industrial expansion may be unsustainable
Russia’s wartime economy has delivered a dramatic expansion in defence production since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But according to KSE, this growth could prove both unsustainable and destabilising in the medium term.
Putin worked as a stuntman in 1970s Soviet movie industry – report
Russian President Vladimir Putin is reported to have performed stunt work in Soviet war films during the 1970s, according to former colleagues and a recently resurfaced caption in a St Petersburg university exhibit.
Russia pulling ahead of Ukraine in optical fibre drone arms race edge
Ukraine’s early advantage in battlefield drone technology is eroding as Russian investment, industrial scaling, and technological innovation reshape the aerial landscape of the conflict, particularly in the deployment of fibre-optic UAVs.
Ukraine’s top general Zaluzhnyi warns war could last a decade without systemic Western support
Ukrainian former top general and current UK ambassador Valerii Zaluzhnyi has given another controversial interview accusing Nato allies of “strategic infantilism” that could drag out the fighting for another decade.
Russia central bank governor Nabiullina says economy coming back on track, but big problems remain
Russia’s Central Bank of Russia has started easing monetary policy with a 200bp rate cut to bring down the interest rate to 18% on July 25. That is welcome relief for companies that have been increasingly struggling to cope with high rates.
China is supplying Russia with new decoy drones and engines to boost Russia’s production
China is covertly supplying a new decoy drone using entirely Chinese technology as well as engines sent to Russia’s state-owned drone manufacturer Kupol that has allowed russia to boost drone strikes to 500 per day, NV reports.
PANNIER: Stakes in fight against terrorism raised as Uzbekistan discovers ISKP cell led by teenage woman
Suspect in custody allegedly radicalised at Islamic school in Turkey. Development is disturbing for authorities.
Ukraine’s Prime Minister to ask IMF for new loan, as new team focuses efforts on bring US support back on board
Ukraine’s new prime minister, Yuliia Svyrydenko, said Kyiv will probably ask for a new International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan to plug a widening budget deficit.
Ukraine’s military death tolls underestimated, Russia recruits sufficient to cover its frontline losses
Ukraine’s official military casualty figures in the war with Russia may be vastly understated. Russia’s death toll is much higher.
Greek tankers continue to transport Russian oil despite new eighteenth sanctions package, come under Ukrainian special ops attacks
Greek-owned oil tankers are likely to continue to carry Russian oil exports, despite the passage of a new eighteenth sanctions package last week that largely targets Russia’s oil exports.
Ukraine’s accession bid stalls, Zelenskiy downgrades EU diplomatic representation
Ukraine’s bid to join the EU has hit a wall, after efforts to launch the negotiations last week failed due to infighting amongst member states. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has downgraded his country's diplomatic representation.
Fleet-cannibalised Russian aviation can only look on as Central Asia carriers take over regional market segments
Moscow has even considered asking Kazakhstan to run some of its domestic flight connections.