Information on current Russian losses due to sanctions as of 22.10.2026.
1. Ukrainian defense forces struck the 75th arsenal in Serpukhov, Moscow region, with missiles/drones.
– The facility specializes in the storage, repair, and refurbishment of military equipment. The enterprise repaired Buk-M1, Buk-M2, and S-300V missile systems. During the attack in Serpukhov, a missile threat was declared.
– According to OSINT analyst Jompy, who studied Russian military infrastructure in March 2024, the 75th arsenal was the only storage base for Russian air defense systems he identified.
– Hitting such a facility could complicate the repair and storage of Russia’s air defense assets.
2. Ukrainian strikes reduced Russia’s diesel fuel exports by more than 75%.
– Ukrainian drones have inflicted serious damage on the Russian oil refining industry, reducing diesel fuel exports by more than 75% and jeopardizing the Kremlin’s plans to increase supply to the global market. Before the attacks, Russia was the second-largest exporter of diesel fuel in the world, after the United States.
– According to Kpler, in September, Russia exported 141,000 barrels of diesel fuel per day compared to 608,000 barrels during the same period last year. In July, the number of Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries and related oil infrastructure increased to 31 from 11 in January.
– Ukraine has not only increased the number of attacks but also expanded their geographical scope. At the beginning of the full-scale war, dozens of drones were involved, but now hundreds are regularly launched for strikes. In July, Ukrainian forces hit Russia’s largest oil refinery in Omsk, in Siberia, more than 1,600 km from Ukraine.
– At the same time, Ukrainian strikes are increasingly targeting complex technological equipment, the repair of which takes much longer than restoring fuel storage tanks. The replacement of secondary processing units can take several months. This requires specialized equipment, the supply of which is complicated by sanctions and issues with international supply chains.
– In July, Moscow banned the export of diesel fuel to ensure the domestic market. In October, the government partially resumed supplies, trying to fulfill agreements with US President Donald Trump. According to these agreements, Russia was supposed to supply around 75,000 barrels of diesel fuel per day to the global market in October and 124,000 barrels in November. However, these plans may be disrupted due to damage to refining capacities.
– According to Kpler’s Director of Commodity Markets Research Matt Smith, without stopping the strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure, it will be difficult to return the declared volumes of fuel to the market.
3. Russian oil giant “Rosneft” is losing profits due to Ukraine’s strikes and sanctions.
– Russian “Rosneft” is facing increasing problems due to Ukrainian strikes on refineries, sanctions, and rising borrowing costs. The company’s profits are falling, debt is rising, and repairing damaged facilities is complicated by a shortage of equipment. Company representatives warn that even a few additional months of war could cause long-term damage to its business.
– “Rosneft” operates 12 refineries, accounting for about a third of Russia’s oil refining capacity. Out of 15 confirmed drone strikes on Russian refineries in September, five hit the company’s facilities. The Ryazan, Syzran, and Tuapse refineries suffered the most. The Ryazan refinery, which supplies fuel to Moscow and neighboring regions, was idle for more than half the time after the first attack in May and operated with a significant underload. The Syzran refinery has been either idle or using less than a third of its capacity for most of the past six months. The Tuapse refinery has been non-operational since April.
– Since the beginning of 2026, Ukrainian drones have carried out at least 114 strikes on Russian refineries — more than twice as many as the same period last year. Repeated attacks force “Rosneft” to restore operations at facilities that are damaged again after repairs.
– Sanctions complicate the restoration of equipment. Repairing secondary processing units requires specialized components previously purchased from the West. Now, the company relies on Russian analogs and supplies from China, which may take months to arrive. Moreover, Chinese equipment is not always compatible with existing systems. Attempts to protect refineries with containers, nets, and steel cables have proven insufficiently effective.
– The company’s financial situation is worsening. “Rosneft’s” net profit for the first half of 2026 decreased by almost 20% to 200 billion rubles ($2.4 billion). The net debt to EBITDA ratio rose to 1.8 times — the highest level in more than five years.
– Problems also threaten the company’s long-term plans. The large-scale Arctic project “Vostok Oil,” with nearly $50 billion in planned investments, is years behind schedule. According to Rystad Energy, by 2027 it will produce about 310,000 barrels per day, with approximately 90% coming from long-developed fields. The development of the project is also hindered by a shortage of specialized tankers for transporting oil through Arctic waters. Western sanctions have complicated their construction. Estimates suggest that by 2030, at least 30 such vessels will be needed to transport the planned volumes, which are currently unavailable.
– “Rosneft” is simultaneously losing refining capacity due to Ukrainian strikes, spending more and more on repairs, and facing difficulties in implementing a new major oil project. Rising global oil prices partially alleviate financial pressure but do not address production problems and dependence on equipment supplies.
4. Losses in Russia’s coal industry reached 178.2 billion rubles from January to July 2026.
– 70% of coal companies are operating at a loss compared to 17% in 2022. The Ministry of Energy expects losses to decrease to 300–310 billion rubles by the end of the year, compared to 408 billion in 2025, but the industry remains in deep crisis.
– Coal companies are suffering from high transportation costs, debts, and expensive loans. Since 2021, RZD tariffs have increased by 2.5 times, and rose by another 8.5% in October. Transportation takes over half the revenue of coal companies, and in winter this share exceeded 70%. Meanwhile, the potential for increasing exports is limited due to the congestion of the Baikal-Amur and Trans-Siberian Railways.
– The industry’s debts are estimated at 1.6–1.8 trillion rubles. Each additional percentage point of interest rate costs companies about 15 billion rubles per year. Despite the Ministry’s expectations to reduce losses to 100 billion rubles by 2027, a more realistic forecast is 150–200 billion rubles.
– The crisis is already leading to the shutdown of enterprises and reduction of investments. In Kuzbass, out of 62 coal enterprises in critical financial condition, 20 have already ceased operations. Investments in mining decreased by 19% over the past year.
– In the absence of cheap loans and predictable transportation tariffs, the industry is threatened with further closure of unprofitable mines and prolonged investment decline.
5. Russia selectively confiscates assets of European companies, while American businesses largely avoid punishment.
– Of the 20 foreign companies whose assets Russian President Vladimir Putin placed under external management after Donald Trump returned to power in January 2025, only three are associated with the US. The rest are European companies.
– In September, Russian authorities took control of local units of the Swiss food group Nestlé, and retail networks Auchan and Metro. Last week, assets of four smaller companies from France, Germany, Sweden, and Belgium were also brought under control. Moscow explains the asset seizures by European countries’ support for Ukraine and the freezing of Russian property in Europe.
– Meanwhile, the Kremlin is reluctant to impose the same harsh measures on American companies, as it may harm negotiations with Washington. Talks on economic cooperation between the Trump administration and Russia aid this rapprochement. Trump’s inclination towards economic agreements and negotiations helps protect American company interests.
– According to the American Chamber of Commerce, about 300 American companies still operate in Russia. Meanwhile, a Swiss economic department representative confirmed that European businesses have suffered from asset seizures much more than American ones.
– European officials view such actions by the Russian authorities as forced expropriation of property and promise sanctions against those benefiting from confiscated assets.
– Moscow’s selective approach demonstrates that risks for foreign businesses in Russia depend not only on the political decisions of their home countries but also on how interested the Kremlin is in maintaining relations with those states.
6. Russia uses fishing trawlers for reconnaissance off the coast of Great Britain.
– Russian fishing vessels can gather intelligence on the location of underwater communication cables that link the UK with Europe and the USA. An investigation uncovered over 500 cases where Russian trawlers circled above critical cable routes or moved along them for extended periods.
– According to Global Fishing Watch, at least 17 vessels maneuvered at low speed near cable routes in the North Atlantic. Such behavior might indicate seabed mapping using sonar and remotely operated underwater vehicles.
– The collected data could help Russia prepare sabotages against underwater infrastructure in the event of a conflict with NATO.
– Cable damage could disrupt the operations of banks, hospitals, transportation, and mobile communications. NATO states they are monitoring the movement of Russian vessels. Meanwhile, international law currently does not prohibit surveying cable routes in international waters. The UK is preparing to enhance penalties for sabotage against cable infrastructure.
7. 23 US congressmen urged Trump to allow Ukraine to detect Russian missile installations using Starlink.
– 23 members of the US House of Representatives — seven Republicans and 16 Democrats — reached out to Donald Trump, asking him to negotiate with Elon Musk to provide Ukraine access to the Starlink satellite system to detect Russian missile installations on Russian territory. Legislators believe this would help Ukraine strike the launch sites from which Russia attacks Ukrainian cities.
– They urged Trump to intervene in the situation, as they believe he might achieve the change in restrictions on Starlink usage.
– Some legislators demand an investigation into the restrictions on the operation of Starlink and the military Starshield system, which according to American media reports, complicated the execution of Ukrainian defense and offensive tasks.
– Some Republicans also advocate for increased sanctions against Russia and banning the import of Russian oil.
8. Two large international crypto exchanges — Bitget and MEXC — announced the cessation of services to clients from Russia and Belarus within three days.
– This limits the ability of Russian and Belarusian users to trade cryptocurrencies via international platforms and transfer assets between exchanges.
– Bitget’s restrictions took effect on October 18: users from Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan were forbidden to open new positions, and by October 21 they had to close existing deals and withdraw assets.
– On October 20, MEXC announced the cessation of services to clients from Russia and Belarus, citing international regulatory requirements.
– The withdrawal of international platforms could result from increased regulatory pressure and the risk of secondary sanctions. Notably, in July 2026, the EU imposed sanctions against the HTX crypto platform due to accusations of facilitating the circumvention of anti-Russian restrictions.
– According to market participants, these decisions may indicate a broader withdrawal of international crypto exchanges from Russian clients. For users, this means fewer trading platform choices and a risk of losing access to familiar services.
9. Slovakia resumes negotiations with Russia over energy supplies.
– On October 26, Slovakia will hold the first intergovernmental commission meeting with Russia in Moscow since 2022. The parties will discuss cooperation in the energy sector, specifically gas supplies and the continuation of Russian oil imports. The agenda will also include issues of nuclear energy, agriculture, environmental protection, sports, and culture.
– The resumption of negotiations may amplify differences between Bratislava and its EU and NATO partners, who strive to eliminate dependency on Russian energy sources. This move continues Prime Minister Robert Fico’s course of re-establishing contacts with Moscow.
