The public external debt of Ukraine has increased 5.7 times since the end of May 2019 and as of August 31, 2026 amounted to 9602.89 billion hryvnia (215.55 billion US dollars). According to the Ministry of Finance, by the end of 2026 the public debt will reach 10,146 billion hryvnia ($226 billion), and the draft budget for 2027 provides for a deficit of $37 billion and an increase in public debt to $276 billion.
The average pension in Moscow as of August 1, 2026 was 27,331 rubles, in Russia as a whole - 25,469 rubles.
Russia has adopted a strategy for the development of the bioeconomy until 2036, which provides for the creation of specialized territorial clusters - bioregions - for bioproduction and biomass processing, depending on regional conditions and types of raw materials.
The average old-age insurance pension in Russia in 2027 will be 29,903.81 rubles according to the draft budget of the Social Fund. The increase is planned in two stages: by 6.8% from February 1 and an additional 3.3% from April 1, 2027. The draft budget was submitted to the State Duma on September 30, 2026.
US President Donald Trump said he was pleased with the deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery by media holding Paramount Skydance for $110 billion, noting that it would make a great company. Previously, the US Supreme Court rejected a petition by opponents of the merger, allowing the deal to take place. Previously, Netflix offered 83 billion for Warner Bros., but was rejected by the WBD board of directors.
UK-based maritime security company Ambrey told TASS that many insurers have stopped covering risks for vessels calling Ukrainian ports due to industry losses, despite rising War Risk Premium rates. The firm noted increased navigation threats in the Black Sea from Ukraine-Russia military actions, warning that Romanian and Bulgarian waters are no longer safe by default. Ambrey also reported a surge in Danube cargo share at Ukrainian ports from 10% to 74% between January-June and August 2026, with Danube-related attacks rising 3.7 times monthly in July-September compared to earlier in the year.
On October 1, the law on the platform economy came into force in Russia, allowing marketplaces to charge fees for returning goods of proper quality. However, the largest platforms - Wildberries, Ozon and Yandex Market - stated that they do not plan to change the return conditions for users, leaving the process free and convenient.
The physical volume of gold transactions on the Moscow Exchange in the first three quarters of 2026 increased by more than 1.7 times compared to the same period last year, the average price of gold for the first half of the year increased by almost 37% year-on-year, the growth in investor interest was due to an increase in the value of the asset and the activity of institutional institutions.
According to American trade statistics studied by RIA Novosti, Russia rose from fourth to second place among the largest exporters of fertilizers to the United States in August. The volume of fertilizer supplies from Russia to the United States almost tripled compared to the previous month and reached $79.1 million.
Climate change and drought in Brazil, the world's largest coffee producer, have driven Arabica supplies to their lowest level in 26 years. Costa Coffee is warning of rising wholesale prices and possible supply cuts, which could lead to higher prices for consumers.
The death toll from a drone attack in the Moscow Region has increased to two, with nine additional individuals reported injured, according to Governor Andrey Vorobyov.
Russia's trade turnover with its CIS partners in 2025 exceeded $110 billion, and in the first half of 2026 increased by another 12%, as reported by presidential aide Yuri Ushakov. President Vladimir Putin plans to visit Turkmenistan on October 8-9 to participate in the CIS summit.
Russian President Vladimir Putin opened a new cluster for the production of electric batteries in Moscow. The first gigafactory, built in 14 months, has received permission to enter into operation and is preparing to launch before the end of 2026.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the state's readiness to provide assistance in creating battery production, including providing tax preferences for the development of energy storage technologies.
Russians opened more than 220 thousand accounts in digital rubles in a month, which significantly exceeded the expectations of the Central Bank. About 150 thousand transactions were carried out on the platform, and the daily increase in new accounts stabilized at the level of 3-5 thousand.
The labor shortage in Russia will increase to 2.61 million people by 2030 due to the demographic crisis and changes in the professional structure of generations, ECOPSY analysts predict.
The share of Russian gas in EU imports decreased from 45% to 12%. The EU intends to completely eliminate supplies by the end of this year, and more than 70% of electricity is now produced from clean sources.
European automobile brand Dacia announced a temporary halt in car production at a plant in the Romanian city of Mioveni due to falling demand for cars in Europe.
The total turnover of digital companies in Russia in 2025 exceeded 21 trillion rubles, showing an increase of almost 20%, said Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
In September, 115.1 thousand new cars were sold in Russia, which is 6.2% less in annual terms. Experts attribute the fall to the high base of last year, rising loan rates and stagnation of household incomes.
Over the eight months of 2025, gold imports from Russia to Hong Kong increased 2.9 times in physical volume, reaching 138.9 tons. The value of shipments quadrupled to HK$154.83 billion.
The Bank of Russia has increased the official exchange rates for the dollar, euro, and yuan effective October 7. The dollar is set at 85.7116 rubles, the euro at 96.0313 rubles, and the yuan at 12.7984 rubles, based on over-the-counter market transactions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part in the opening of a cluster for the production of electric batteries in Moscow via video link, hear a report from Mayor Sergei Sobyanin and hold a meeting on the development of energy storage systems.
