In September, Russia’s Ministry of Defense approved the operation of around 110 new types of weapons and military equipment — more than 40% higher than in August. About 80 of them are domestically produced, including unmanned aerial systems, electronic warfare equipment, ammunition, and military vehicles.
Iran has ordered 48 Su-35 multirole fighter jets from Russia, Algeria — 12 fifth-generation Su-57 fighters and 14 Su-34 strike aircraft, and Ethiopia — six Su-35s, according to documents released by the hacker group Black Mirror, which claims they belong to the state corporation Rostec. Deliveries to Iran and Algeria are expected to be completed between 2026 and 2028. The contract with Ethiopia is reportedly nearing completion or has been partially fulfilled. If the documents are confirmed to be authentic, these deals would become Russia’s largest combat aviation export contracts since 2022.
China has halted exports of high-precision machine tools to Russia, imposing restrictions on the export of high-tech equipment. According to Ildar Nuriyev, the owner of Tatpromstan, while it was previously possible to obtain machines with an accuracy of 3–4 microns, now a special export license is required. Even the shipment of already purchased machines is reportedly accompanied by “unpleasant incidents.” Overall, in the first eight months of 2025, trade between China and Russia fell by almost 9% to 1.03 trillion yuan ($145 billion), while China’s exports to Russia declined by 16.4% in August.
Kazakhstan has launched large-scale inspections of cargo trucks traveling from China to Russia through its territory — mostly carrying electronics, drones, and Western-made goods. As a result, since mid-September, a massive queue of about 7,500 trucks has formed at the Kazakh-Russian border. Cargo not subject to sanctions now takes 3–5 days to clear customs, compared to the usual 1–2 days. Kazakhstan had previously been one of the key transit routes for sanctioned goods heading to Russia, including CNC machines, drones, and raw materials for gunpowder production.
EU ambassadors have approved a plan for a gradual phase-out of Russian gas and oil imports by 2028. Almost all EU countries supported the initiative despite criticism from Hungary and Slovakia, which remain heavily dependent on Russian energy. If adopted at the EU level, the law will require member states to develop national phase-out plans by 2028. EU energy ministers are set to vote on the plan on October 20, with a qualified majority (55% of member states) required for approval.
More from Russia’s information space — in ESCU Monitoring #38 ⬇️
