UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights
Food production in Russia has begun to decline for the first time in 15 years, — Forbes
Investments in new food industry projects have dropped by almost 45%, returning to 2013 levels.
Among the reasons cited are the Central Bank’s high interest rate, a severe labor shortage, accelerating inflation, and unstable exchange rates. At the same time, the domestic market is oversaturated: Russians have begun to economize, buying less and switching to cheaper products, which reduces demand for existing supplies.
EU member states are prepared to approve a decision on the indefinite freezing of Russian assets at an accelerated pace to prevent a potential Hungarian veto, FT reports.
The European Commission has proposed using these €210 billion to support Ukraine.
For this mechanism to function, the assets must be frozen indefinitely rather than in six-month intervals, which currently require unanimous approval from all 27 EU members.
POLITICO: Orban recently said that you promised him access to a U.S.-backed financial shield worth up to $20 billion. Is that right?
Trump: No, I didn’t promise him, but he certainly asked for it.
https://t.me/United24media/38030
A tanker carrying oil from sanctioned Rosneft reached China via a record-breaking route, Bloomberg reports.
The tanker Fortis, carrying around 700,000 barrels of crude, anchored near the port of Rizhao, most of whose terminals are also blacklisted by the US for trading Iranian oil.
The 11-week journey began in Ust-Luga (Baltic Sea) on another vessel. The cargo passed through the Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal before being transferred offshore to the Fortis near India. The Fortis changed course several times, and part of the cargo was transshipped near South Korea. Normally, transporting oil from western Russian ports to China takes about two months, but this shipment took nearly a month longer.
Bloomberg notes that the case highlights the uncertainty created by US sanctions on Russian oil exports, as buyers seek to minimize risks associated with Washington’s oversight.
Russian sabotage in Europe may be preparation for a full-scale war by 2029, FT reports.
European intelligence officials told the publication that recent sabotage incidents represent not just Moscow’s tactical response to the war in Ukraine, but a strategic escalation. The targets and the level of risk Russia is taking indicate a more serious threat than previously assumed.
These assessments are now being reviewed alongside NATO’s 2023 report, which states that Russia is preparing its military and economy for a possible conflict with Europe by 2029.
Over the past year, intelligence agencies have prevented attempts to bomb trains, set fire to shopping malls, and poison water supplies. Particularly alarming were explosive devices sent via DHL to the UK, Poland, and Germany — powerful enough to bring down a cargo plane.
According to the FT, citing intelligence data, this was part of a broader plan to disrupt air operations.
The publication also reports that Russian agents are scouting road bridges and railways across Europe, likely to plant explosives, and that Moscow is trying to infiltrate highly skilled sleeper saboteurs into European countries.
It is noted that Russia’s campaign increasingly relies on a “gig economy” of espionage — operators recruited through Telegram, working for money and not formally tied to Russian intelligence services.
In response, NATO is considering more decisive measures, including potential preemptive actions such as retaliatory cyberattacks aimed at deterring covert aggression. Experts believe Europe is currently facing a key test of its ability to counter such threats.
Germany plans to begin production of an upgraded version of the TAURUS cruise missile in 2029 — Reuters.
The missile, developed by the European defense company MBDA, is designed to destroy targets behind enemy lines — command bunkers, ammunition and fuel depots, airfields, and bridges.
The upgraded TAURUS NEO missile, worth €415 million, will have an increased range, enhanced obstacle penetration, improved navigation systems, and a modernized seeker. Swedish company Saab and U.S.-based Williams International are listed as key subcontractors.
Germany intends to purchase around 600 TAURUS NEO missiles for a total of about €2 billion.
Currently, the German Armed Forces possess roughly 600 TAURUS missiles with a range of more than 500 km.
🇺🇦 The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained a foreign cargo ship in the port of Odesa that was part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” and had been illegally transporting Ukrainian agricultural products from temporarily occupied Crimea.
The ship’s owner is under NSDC sanctions and, according to the investigation, repeatedly changed the vessel’s name and listed beneficiaries in third countries to evade restrictions.
The dry cargo vessel arrived in Odesa under the flag of an African state to load a batch of steel pipes.
Ternopil City Council has begun demolishing the high-rise building destroyed by a Russian missile.
Experts previously determined that the building could not be restored due to critical damage to its load-bearing structures, making it completely unusable.
Ukraine is not for sale — Russia will get nothing but the hole of a bagel, said Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UN Andriy Melnyk.