Eastern Europe / News
CEO of Russia’s Sberbank Gref call for ending “military action”
Sberbank chief German Gref says Russians want a swift end to military action, a rare public war comment from a senior executive. Find out what he said, and how the bank's record RUB850.2bn dividend feeds the Russian budget.
Russia's VTB may revisit plans to expand presence in Iran
Russia's VTB may revisit plans to expand in Iran once regional military action ends, chief executive Andrei Kostin says. Find out how the recent conflict stalled the bank's plan to open a new branch serving Russian and Iranian firms.
Attempted murder probe launched after Monaco blast that reportedly injured Ukrainian businessman
French media say the attack targeted Ukrainian businessman Vadym Yermolaiev and members of his family.
Ukraine clinched €10bn worth of agreements during recovery conference in Poland
Ukraine left the two-day Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk, Poland, with some 200 agreements worth over €10bn, Economy, Environment and Agriculture Minister Oleksiy Sobolev said.
Ukraine’s new aggressive Belarus strategy
Ukraine has sharply escalated pressure on Belarus, switching from a cautious policy of appeasement to try and split Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko off from Russian President Vladimir Putin to an aggressively coercive policy of threats.
Russia declares drone attack threat in Lipetsk region
Russia has declared a drone attack threat across the Lipetsk region, regional Governor Igor Artamonov says, though no strike has been confirmed and Ukraine has not commented, in a region targeted repeatedly during the war.
Russian regions battle fuel shortage as diesel deficit spreads
Russian regions have been battling a fuel shortage since June 23, with bus services cut, fares raised and rubbish collection halted in places, as a diesel deficit spreads across almost all regions.
Ukraine targets major reconstruction deals despite tensions with Poland
Russian forces carried out 541 attacks on railway infrastructure and rolling stock during the first quarter of 2026 alone.
Brussels separates Ukraine and Moldova on EU accession track as merit-based approach takes hold
Each country is now expected to advance towards membership at its own pace after the opening of the first negotiating cluster.
Russia's meat exports to China rise 26% in five months
Russia's meat and edible offal exports to China rose to more than 53,000 tonnes worth over $156mn in the first five months of the year, up 26% on the year, with pork forming the bulk of supplies.
Russia hit by double whammy of forced crude exports as Ukraine drone strikes reduce refining throughput
Russia is exporting crude oil at its fastest pace this year as repeated Ukrainian drone strikes on domestic refineries leave Moscow increasingly unable to process its own production.
Russia in talks to import Kazakh gasoline as Ukraine’s drone attacks hammer refineries
Russian petrol output reported as down by 25% as of late June.
Malaysia secures 20-year Russian energy deal
The deal was secured through direct, closed-door bilateral negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the 35th Anniversary ASEAN–Russia Commemorative Summit.
Bulgaria reaches limit on military aid to Ukraine, PM says
Rumen Radev's stance on military air follows suggestion Sofia could block parts of the EU’s proposed new sanctions package against Russia.
Western companies lose hundreds of billions as Russia business presence shrinks
Western companies have seen the value of their assets in Russia almost halve since the start of the war in Ukraine, highlighting the scale of the economic decoupling between Russia and the West after more than four years of war, Vedomosti reports.
Zelensky warns Belarus to remove military communications gear on the border or face an attack
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has issued his strongest warning yet to Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, accusing Minsk of directly facilitating Russian drone attacks on Ukraine and giving Belarusian authorities one week to remove it.
Polish-Ukrainian relations hit new low after Nawrocki revokes honour for Zelenskiy
Polish-Ukrainian relations have entered a deep crisis after Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked Poland’s highest honour, the Order of the White Eagle, from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Hungary nears exit from Article 7 procedure after Magyar-Metsola talks
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola have agreed that the long-running Article 7 procedure against Hungary should be concluded by autumn 2026.
Russia’s central bank makes cautious rate cut to 14.25% amid high military spending
CBR defies both market expectations and Kremlin pressure, saying despite easing inflationary pressures it will not tolerate out-of-control fiscal spending.
Massive drone attack puts Moscow in flames during G7 summit
Russian authorities reported intercepting at least 200 Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow during the early hours of June 18, making it the largest drone attack on the Russian capital since the start of the war