Information on current Russian losses due to sanctions as of 18.09.2026.
1. Rostov-on-Don was once again attacked by drones on the night of September 18 — the day after the strike on the “Rostov-Central” military airfield.
– Residents of the city reported explosions. Monitoring channels noted a new attack on the airbase.
– On the previous night, September 17, the SBU claimed damage at the “Rostov-Central” military airfield to three aircraft — an An-12 and two An-26s — and three helicopters. A large-scale fire occurred at the aircraft parking with subsequent detonation.
2. The Yaroslavl Refinery “Slavneft-YANOS” in Russia stopped oil processing after a night attack by Ukrainian drones.
– The attack disabled the primary AVT-3 unit with a capacity of 17,140 tons per day — about 40% of the plant’s capacity. Another unit, AVT-4, providing 33% processing, is under repair after the attack on August 28. Thus, only the AT-4 unit remains in operation with a share of about 27%.
– On Thursday, YANOS products were not offered on the domestic exchange. Fires occurred at the plant after the attack.
– YANOS is owned by “Slavneft”, co-owned by “Rosneft” and “Gazprom Neft”. The refinery’s capacity is about 300,000 barrels per day or 15 million tons per year. In 2024, the plant processed 14.9 million tons of raw materials, producing 2.6 million tons of gasoline, 4 million tons of diesel fuel, and 4.7 million tons of fuel oil.
3. Putin transferred under “temporary management” the shares of the French Auchan and Leroy Merlin, Swiss Nestlé, and logistics companies FM Logistic and Bati Logistic.
– The relevant decree came into effect following its official publication. Specifically, 99.99858% of the Russian subsidiary of Auchan, owned by the French Sogepag, 99.993% of the shares in Leroy Merlin, owned by Scenari Holding, as well as a stake in Groupe Adeo, were transferred under management.
– The decree also covers Nestlé’s shares in the Russian companies “Nestlé Kuban” and “Nestlé Russia”.
– Since 2023, Russia has been using the “temporary management” mechanism to gain control over the assets of companies from countries deemed “unfriendly” by the Kremlin. Previously, assets of Danone and Carlsberg were subjected to such control, some of which were later sold to structures connected with the Russian authorities.
– Nestlé has been operating in Russia since the 1990s. After the start of large-scale war, the company reduced its activities in the country, halting the import and export of non-essential goods, advertising, and capital investments.
– Auchan opened its first store in Russia in 2002. Currently, the chain has about 230 supermarkets and hypermarkets in the country.
– According to Yale School of Management, more than 1,000 foreign companies have left Russia or reduced their activities there after the outbreak of war.
4. The capitalization of the Russian stock market has almost halved during the full-scale war — from 45.4% of GDP at the end of 2021 to 24.1% at the end of 2025, according to estimates from the Kremlin-adjacent CEMACP.
– In 2026, Russian stocks continued to depreciate. From January to August, the Moscow Exchange index lost 15%, and since the beginning of 2022, it has dropped by 14.2%.
– The reduction in capitalization is occurring amid the absence of access for Russian companies to most Western financial markets, which limits capital raising opportunities.
5. The Kremlin is trying to maintain Russia’s position as the largest wheat exporter, but Black Sea port problems threaten a sharp decline in supplies.
– In August–September, Russia’s Ministry of Agriculture and the Grain Association held meetings with major grain exporters, demanding ways to sustain the country’s global leadership.
– However, maintaining usual export volumes may be impossible if the Black Sea ports remain blocked. These ports accounted for about 70% of Russia’s wheat exports.
– Due to disruptions in port infrastructure, shipments from Russian Black Sea ports fell 2.5 times year-over-year in July–August — to 3.73 million tons. Russia’s wheat export in July–September may decrease to 5.4 million tons — a 16-year low and roughly half of what it was the previous year.
– Russia is attempting to compensate for losses through alternative routes. The government is subsidizing rail shipments to the Baltic ports of Ust-Luga and Vysotsk and the Far East, considering the removal of export duties, and planning a new grain terminal in Vladivostok. However, these routes are currently unable to fully replace Black Sea capacities.
– In early September, Ust-Luga and Vysotsk dispatched 77 thousand tons and 95 thousand tons of grain, respectively. In September, up to 500 thousand tons of wheat may pass through the Baltic.
– Logistic problems arose after Russia harvested a significant crop, so even with enough grain, the country risks lacking sufficient capacity to export it.
6. The biggest buyers of Russian energy opposed the new US sanctions bill.
– The document already approved by the US Congress now needs to be signed by Donald Trump. This law could most affect China and India. As of 2022, China accounted for about 50% of Russian oil exports, India 37%, Turkey 5%, and the EU 5%. The European Union also remained the largest buyer of Russian LNG — 49% of exports — and pipeline gas — 32%.
– In China, it was stated that Beijing opposes interference by third countries in its trade relations.
– The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that New Delhi had earlier warned Washington about the possible consequences of new measures and will take necessary steps to protect its trade and economic interests.
– The Kremlin also opposed the bill. Peskov stated that the new US sanctions would allegedly complicate the search for a peaceful resolution to the war against Ukraine.
– In the EU, there are concerns that Trump’s broad powers regarding exemptions could make the application of sanctions unpredictable. In particular, there is talk about the possibility of exceptions for large buyers of Russian energy resources, with whom the US is simultaneously trying to expand trade relations.
7. Russia and China blocked the extension of the mandate of the expert group overseeing sanctions against Iran at the UN Security Council.
– The resolution project proposed by the US envisaged extending the experts’ work for another year. It was supported by 11 out of 15 members of the Security Council, two abstained, but Russia and China used their veto rights.
– The expert group collects and analyzes information about compliance with sanctions against Iran, including instances of violations. Its current mandate ends on September 26, 2026.
– Russia and China stated that the relevant sanction mechanisms should no longer operate and called for resolving the Iranian nuclear issue diplomatically. The US, on its part, accused the two countries of blocking international oversight.
8. Hungary may completely abandon Russian gas by October 2027, according to Minister of Economy and Energy István Kapitány.
– According to him, the country has sufficient gas transport infrastructure to ensure supplies from other sources.
– Kapitány noted that negotiations on replacing Russian gas are already underway, including with Romania and LNG suppliers. Possible sources include gas from Romania’s Neptun Deep field and LNG supplies.
– Hungary is also working on reducing its dependence on Russian oil. Budapest is negotiating with Croatia to fully utilize the “Adria” pipeline.
– Simultaneously, the Hungarian government is reviewing the expansion project of the “Paks-2” nuclear power plant, implemented by Russia’s “Rosatom”. They plan to complete the inspection of contracts, the business model, and the role of new reactors in the energy system by the end of the year, after which a decision will be made on the project’s further necessity.
– Thus, Hungary is considering the possibility of reducing dependence on Russian energy resources in three areas — gas, oil, and nuclear energy.
