⚡️⚡️⚡️BREAKING: @WorldBank SLASHES Ukraine's 2026 GDP growth forecast to just 2%—down over 3% from 5.2%! Blame: Endless Russian attacks, wrecked infrastructure, record gas imports, bad weather hitting ag exports, & EU trade curbs. Exports to EU (60% of shipments) plunged 5% in H1 2025. 2025 holds at 2%; 2027 bounces to 5%. War's toll is crushing recovery. And I think corruption and heavily damaged market economy (READ - #Donornomics) is something the World Bank modestly conceals.

⚡️⚡️⚡️BREAKING: Belarusian rail-transported gasoline exports to Russia jumped fourfold month-on-month in September, as Moscow sought to tackle fuel shortages caused by Ukrainian attacks on its energy infrastructure, industry sources told Reuters.
Several Russian regions have introduced rationing and have temporarily frozen fuel prices in recent weeks amid a scarcity of popular types of gasoline brought on by the drone strikes, which targeted refineries among other energy installations. Moscow has also restricted gasoline and diesel exports.
Gasoline supplies via rail from refineries in Belarus to the Russian domestic market rose to 49,000 metric tons, or 14,500 barrels per day (bpd), last month. They also said diesel deliveries amounted to 33,000 tons in September.

⚡️⚡️⚡️BREAKING: Russia's Ural Turbine Plant in Yekaterinburg—key maker of turbines for nukes & war machines—ENGULFED in flames! 1,000 sqm blaze in tool shop, roof collapsing. Tass denies it, but videos don't lie. Another "accident" crippling Putin's arsenal? Hope it scorches their war effort! #MakeRussiaPay

In Kyiv, political tensions around President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are intensifying even as the war grinds on. His recent claim that he may not seek a second term has drawn little belief among Ukraine’s political class. Opponents accuse his team of consolidating control ahead of future elections — using security services and selective prosecutions to weaken rivals and reclaim influence over anti-corruption institutions.
Raids by the Security Service of Ukraine on #NABU and #SAP, along with investigations into former generals over battlefield losses in 2022, have fueled allegations of political intimidation. One former minister said these cases are seen as potential leverage against Valery Zaluzhny — widely viewed as a political rival to Zelenskyy — though others insist the probes are meant to uphold the rule of law. Let’s see what comes next. Thanks @jamiewrit for another brilliant article!
Photo: @GettyImages

@POTUS @marcorubio @JamesBradleyCA @jamiewrit @leonidragozin @owenmatth @DanielLDavis1 @ConstantMeheut @IgnatiusPost @JDVance @MarioNawfal @lexfridman @FBIDirectorKash @DNIGabbard @olliecarroll @paolomossetti @CortesSteve @HavryshkoMarta @TuckerCarlson @GeromanAT

⚡️⚡️⚡️EU to SLAM sanctions on 3 firms peddling FAKE flags to Russia's shadow fleet! These crooks slapped bogus Aruba, Curaçao & Sint Maarten docs on 8+ sanctioned tankers—part of 19th package adding 120 vessels (total 560+). Netherlands called BS to IMO months ago.
Denmark ramps inspections, Estonia warns of Baltic dangers, Macron vows crackdown—France just nabbed a tanker )and let it go). Time to sink Putin's oil scam? #MakeRussiaPay

🇪🇺The EU is weighing a massive‼️€133B‼️plan to keep the 🇺🇦#UkraineEconomy and defense running through 2026–27. @IMFNews estimates Kyiv will need €52–53B in budget support plus up to $80B in military aid over two years, according to EU officials. Wartime economy is, of course, no joke. But it’s concerning that, in the fourth year of full-scale war, Ukraine hasn’t built a sustainable model. Dependence on external aid is only deepening. #Donornomics remains the main strategy. Ukraine should focus on tackling #Corruption and ensuring every euro delivers impact. Defense is vital but so is an economy that can survive uncertainty. #UkraineRecovery #EUEconomy #UkraineAid
Photo: Kyiv Independent

⚡️⚡️ India and 🇨🇳#China are resuming direct flights ‼️after 5 years‼️ — ending costly detours through Singapore and Bangkok that extended travel times. Flights were halted in 2020 amid #COVID19 and border clashes. Now, as both economies look to revive trade and tourism, there’s an unspoken pull toward cooperation (both economic and political). The two Asian giants are drawing closer against a backdrop of rising tensions between India and Western democracies like the U.S. Even past clashes haven’t stopped them from rebuilding pragmatic ties. #India #AsiaEconomy
Photo: Open Sources

Cash is far from dead in Europe. 52% of all transactions in the #eurozone are still made in cash. Acc. to the #ECB, it remains the most common payment method in 14 of 20 member states — 67% in Malta, 61% in Italy, 57% in Spain. In Ukraine, by contrast, cashless payments already dominate: in 2024, over 60% of transactions were non-cash, reflecting a rapid shift toward #DigitalFinance even amid the war. #EuropeanEconomy
Photo: Unsplash / Ibrahim Boran

⚡⚡Ukraine will increase gas imports by 30% after Russian attacks severely damaged extraction facilities. The government has secured $800 million in loans from the #EBRD & #EIB under EU guarantees and is negotiating additional grants with G7 partners to ensure winter supplies. The total import volume will depend on the scale of damage and the pace of recovery. Meanwhile, the attacks continue. #UkraineEconomy #StopRussianAggression
Photo: @GettyImages

🔥DAY 3 OF INFERNO: Ukraine's drones torch Crimea's largest oil terminal in Feodosia—smoke plume stretches 25+ KM across occupied skies. Tourists flee in panic, locals ship kids to safety. Russians play silent while blasts echo over Sevastopol, Simferopol & more. Fuel lifeline for Putin's war machine? TOASTED. Ukrainian General Staff confirms: Strikes on explosives factory, ammo depot too. Russia's "3-day war" now a 3-day BBQ. Who's next?

💶 Viktor Orbán says Hungary won’t adopt the #euro because “the EU is collapsing.” But is that really the main reason? I’m not sure. The euro now binds twenty EU countries & 350M people under one currency — the world’s second-largest reserve after the dollar, covering nearly 40% of all cross-border payments. By the way, Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic are obliged to join once they meet the criteria, yet they delay — guarding, for instance, the #MonetaryPolicy that once helped Poland weather a global #EconomicCrisis.

⚡️⚡️⚡️BREAKING: Russia's Central Bank has concluded that the state violated minority shareholders' rights in a series of asset seizures tied to the Ukraine war, marking the first significant resistance from the Russian elite against ongoing nationalization efforts, Reuters reports, citing sources. Amid escalating tensions with the West, tens of billions of dollars in assets owned by foreign investors and Russian billionaires have changed hands, primarily through state-led seizures. However, discontent is growing among market-oriented technocrats, credited with stabilizing Russia's economy under unprecedented sanctions, who question the shift toward a Soviet-style command economy focused on mobilizing resources for victory in Ukraine. Three sources close to the Central Bank and Moscow Exchange told @Reuters that MOEX formally complained to the regulator about legal violations after the government seized a controlling stake in gold-mining company UGC, highlighting mounting elite concerns.
Photo: @GettyImages

🇹🇷 Turkey is turning to the U.S. — ‼️NOT Russia or China‼️— to develop one of the world’s largest rare earth deposits in western Anatolia. Talks with Beijing and Moscow collapsed over tech transfer and processing rights. #RareEarths are essential for wind turbines, EV motors, and defense tech — making them one of the most strategic resources of our time. As the U.S. and EU race to reduce China’s near-monopoly, Ankara’s pivot marks a clear shift toward Western supply chains and technological sovereignty. #Turkey #GlobalEconomy #ChinaEconomy
Photo: Science Data

⚡️⚡️⚡️Russian stock market crashes to lowest level since Dec 2024, with Moscow Exchange Index down 4.05%—worst drop since Sep 2022—after Foreign Ministry dashes hopes for Ukraine war end.
Gazprom -4.1%
Sberbank -4.9%
VTB -4.7%
Rosneft -2.5%.
And this is just some deputy minister tried to threaten Donald Trump! Looking forward to the new comments :)

🇺🇦Ukraine faces an ‼️$8B gap‼️ in #DefenseSpending this year alone. Kyiv now wants to redirect funds from civil programs to the army as war costs surge and tax revenues collapse. But again, Ukraine is asking the EU to let it use part of its financial aid for military needs, which EU rules normally forbid. This is another sign of Ukraine’s growing dependence on unsustainable #Donornomics. Without a shift toward real self-sufficiency and domestic revenue growth, Ukraine risks being trapped in permanent reliance long after the war ends. This is the opposite of the strategy of survival. #UkraineEconomy
Photo: The New Yorker

.@POTUS says he’s “pretty much made a decision” on whether to give Ukraine Tomahawk cruise missiles — long-range weapons capable of striking targets more than 1,500 miles away. Each costs about $1.3M, with total deployment expenses far higher once launchers, logistics, and training are included. The announcement lifted RTX shares and reignited debate over Europe’s expanding defense market. For Ukraine, it’s not only about firepower — it’s about the rising cost of staying in the fight. #UkraineEconomy #StopRussianAggression
Photo: @TheStudyofWar

Traders selling 🇷🇺#RussianOil now demand that 🇮🇳India pay in 🇨🇳Chinese yuan, not dollars. Once a USD-dominated market, oil trade is shifting under the weight of #Sanctions on Moscow. The yuan is one of the few currencies freely convertible into rubles. Indian state refiners have already made several payments in yuan, per @Reuters. With that, the Kremlin loses access to the dollar system and sinks deeper into China’s financial orbit — that benefits from both India’s payments and flows of Russian oil. Both political and economic cracks between the West & East are only growing. #MakeRussiaPay #ChinaEconomy
Photo: Times of India

⚡️⚡️Spain has seized luxury villas linked to a close ally of Putin’s defense circle and 🇷🇺 CEO of Russian helicopters — Nikolai Kolesov. The properties were arrested on suspicion of money laundering (no surprise, really). Kolesov and his family siphoned off state defense assets into front firms and foreign real estate. Russian oligarchs remain among the top property investors across Europe. And of course, #RussiaEconomy may be showing cracks, but it just may intensify Russian corruption — many will feel that the clock is sticking and they should steal more. #MakeRussiaPay

⚡️⚡️⚡️Europe's largest port, Rotterdam, faces a 48-hour dockworkers' strike, threatening to paralyze container terminals. Ships are stuck, unable to load or unload, as unions demand a 7% pay hike. Major disruptions loom, with vessels piling up and millions in losses expected.

🇺🇦🪖 Ukraine’s defense industry grew ‼️35x‼️since 2022. And in 2026, spending on missiles and drones alone is expected to match the entire 2025 output. Ukraine is finally building the foundation for long-term defense independence and potential cooperation with EU tech and defense giants. But the country still runs on #Donornomics, with defense sector plagued by delays, overpriced contracts, and corruption. Even the most impressive growth risks becoming short-lived. #UkraineEconomy
Photo: @TopLeadEU