# Russia
New sanctions against Russia and record-breaking aid for Ukraine
On the eve of the summit in Cyprus, the European Union officially approved a major aid package for Ukraine and imposed further sanctions on Russia’s energy sector. The key measures included a €90 billion loan and a ban on imports of Russian gas condensate
Putin has effectively confirmed further internet blackouts in Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin has commented publicly for the first time since the March shutdown in Moscow on the internet blackout in Russia, stating that “security” remains a priority for the authorities and that citizens should be informed about such restrictions.
The Russian Foreign Ministry says the country has been invited to the G20 summit
Russia claims that it has been invited to attend the G20 summit in the US at the highest level. However, it is not yet known whether Russia will attend the summit or who will represent it.
The Russian economy is not recovering despite rising oil revenues
Sweden has stated that Russia’s economy remains weak, even despite the increase in oil revenues against the backdrop of the war in the Middle East. According to military intelligence assessments, the country’s financial problems are worsening, and official figures may not reflect the true situation.
The war is beginning to take its toll on the Russian economy: the media have identified signs of decline
This year, the effects of sanctions and the high cost of the war have been particularly keenly felt in Russia.
An oil refinery in Tuapse has caught fire again following a drone attack
On the night of 20 April, a drone attack on an oil refinery was reported in Tuapse, Russia. A major fire broke out at the site.
Russian military casualties over the past 24 hours have exceeded 1,000
Over the past 24 hours, Russian forces have lost 1,050 personnel in the war against Ukraine. Total losses since the start of the full-scale invasion have exceeded 1.3 million.
Russia may be preparing an attack on the Baltic islands: Sweden has identified Putin’s objective
Sweden does not rule out the possibility that Russia may seize one of the Baltic Sea islands in the near future – and thereby test how NATO would respond to such a provocation.
Budanov personally took part in sabotage operations in Russia: details of the GUR’s special operations
The Head of the President’s Office and former head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kirill Budanov, personally took part in special operations on Russian territory. These were raids in the Graivoronskyi area of the Belgorod Oblast, where Budanov’s unit was among the first to enter.
Russia is concealing catastrophic economic losses caused by sanctions – intelligence reports
According to SAB, between 2022 and 2025 alone, Russia was forced to spend an additional $130 billion – around $32.5 billion annually – on circumventing sanctions and purchasing banned Western goods, which it had previously bought at significantly lower prices.
A facial recognition system in St Petersburg mistook a Russian rock musician for the wanted man, Dmitry Gordon
At a railway station in St Petersburg, police stopped Russian rock musician Dmitry Galyaminsky because the facial recognition system mistook him for Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Gordon, who has been convicted in absentia in Russia.
Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash. Russia will pay compensation to the victims and the relatives of those killed
Russia has agreed to pay compensation to the victims and relatives of those killed in the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane, which crashed near Aktau in Kazakhstan in late 2024. Earlier, Russian leader Vladimir Putin admitted that the plane had been shot down by Russian air defences.
