After receiving a report from Oleh Lukhovsky, head of the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service, Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine has recorded a sharp decline in Russian oil exports in key ports.
In Primorsk the decline is 13 percent, in Novorossiysk 38 percent and in Ust-Luga 43 percent. The Ukrainian president noted that internal Russian data may not reflect the actual scale of losses. “We will continue operations aimed at reducing Russia's oil revenues and export volumes,” Zelensky said.
“We will coordinate activities with partners”
The report also describes in detail Russian attempts to counteract the development of Ukraine's international defense cooperation, including the so-called drone contracts. According to Ukrainian intelligence, Moscow recognizes Ukraine's ability to attract additional foreign investments one of the key strategic challenges.
Russia is intensifying its activities aimed at blocking Ukraine's access to investments and disrupting the conclusion of bilateral agreements regarding cooperation in the field of security and arms production.
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Russia pays special attention to limiting Ukraine's involvement in cooperation with partners in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region. Ukrainian intelligence reported that in recent months, Russian military contingents in Africa have increased by approximately 8,000. soldiers. Moscow is also actively promoting the use of drones in African countries through equipment supplies, local production schemes and training programs.
Zelensky warned that this expansion could have wider security implications. In his opinion, this threatens to strengthen terrorist organizations, increase cross-border crime and destabilize strategically important migration regions. “It is important to counteract this together. We will coordinate actions with partners,” he added.
New sanctions. “Belarus cannot be drawn into this war”
The Ukrainian president also announced that he had signed a new sanctions package, including: actions aimed at entities related to Belarus. In this way, Kyiv is trying to increase the pressure and weaken the intensity of Russian aggression.
In his evening speech on Wednesday, Zelensky said the sanctions were approved following decisions by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
— I have signed another significant package of Ukrainian sanctions, covering in particular entities in Belarus, the president announced. — This is a signal for many of our partnerswhere pressure must be exerted to reduce the scale and intensity of this war.
Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine wants to prevent Belarus from being drawn into the conflict and warned against expanding military operations beyond Ukrainian territory. — Belarus cannot be drawn into this war. There can be no operations against other European countries. And Russia's war against Ukraine must end with a decent peace, he stressed.
Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, and Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus. Moscow, February 26, 2026EPA/MAXIM SHIPENKOV / POOL / PAP
Zelensky added that Ukraine will inform its international partners about intelligence data indicating that Moscow is still developing plans to conduct operations outside Ukraineincluding Belarus' further involvement in the implementation of Russian goals.
Therefore, Zelensky signed a decree imposing sanctions on Belarusian companies and people associated with Alexander Lukashenko. These measures will cover 16 Belarusian citizens and 11 legal entities linked to Russian military activities.
Zelensky's decree also applies Lukashenko's sons, Viktor and Dmitrywhom the Ukrainian authorities accuse of helping to export goods bypassing international sanctions, including the supply and re-export of dual-use products through the territory of Belarus.
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