Russia’s “Angstrem,” specializing in microelectronics manufacturing, became the country’s most unprofitable company in 2024, with a net loss of 236.4 billion rubles. The ranking also includes FGC UES which holds contracts with Russia’s military-industrial complex, the metallurgical company “Mechel,” added to the U.S. SDN list in February 2024, and the Ilsky Oil Refinery, which plays a strategic role in supplying fuel to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and to Russian forces. Other companies in the list are the bank “Trust,” the Moscow Metro, the internet company VK, the marketplace Ozon, the energy corporation “RusHydro,” and the agricultural holding “Ariant.”
Russia has likely upgraded its ballistic missiles to more effectively bypass the Patriot air defense system. This concerns the Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile system with a range of up to 500 km and the Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile with a range of up to 480 km. According to the Financial Times, these missiles initially follow a standard trajectory and then perform a sharp maneuver—diving or evading—which helps them avoid interception.
The member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Armenia) plan to adopt a joint agreement on countering threats involving the use of new types of weapons. The draft document will be considered on October 7 in St. Petersburg at a meeting of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly’s Commission on Defense and Security. According to the head of the commission, Anatoly Vyborny, the initiative involves coordinating efforts in intelligence, sharing technologies and data, and developing import substitution in military research.
Between January and July, China tripled its imports of Russian nickel to 49,130 tons worth $772.6 million, confirming Russia’s position as the largest supplier of this metal to China. Russia’s share of China’s imports rose to 37% compared to 35% a year earlier. In July alone, Russian nickel exports to China increased nineteen-fold year-on-year, reaching a record 17,740 tons. Overall, Russia remains one of the world’s largest suppliers of nickel, accounting for about 15–17% of global production of high-grade Class 1 nickel, which is essential for manufacturing batteries and military equipment.
Iran signed a $25 billion agreement with the Russian state corporation Rosatom to build four nuclear power plants. This is not the first joint nuclear project: Russia is already constructing new power units at the Bushehr nuclear plant, with the first unit launched in 2013. Construction of the second phase is currently underway and is scheduled for completion between 2024 and 2026.
