Ukraine-Russia war latest: Cash-strapped Putin ‘calls on oligarchs to prop up Russian economy’

The prime minister said he approved more aggressive action as Russian president Vladimir Putin was likely “rubbing his hands” at the spike in oil prices driven by the US-Israel war against Iran.

British military and law enforcement officials have been preparing to board Russian vessels that do not surrender, are armed, or use high-tech, pervasive surveillance to evade capture.

The Independent answers what the shadow fleet is and how it helps Putin in Ukraine:

A Russian court banned the distribution of Mr Nobody Against Putin after authorities claimed the Oscar-winning documentary promoted “negative attitudes” about the government and the war in Ukraine.

Mr Nobody Against Putin premiered in January 2025 at the Sundance Film Festival where it received a special jury award.

Talankin gave the footage to Borenstein, an American filmmaker living in Denmark, in 2024.

Russia’s president Vladimir ⁠Putin has asked oligarchs to donate to the country’s budget in a bid to stabilise the country’s finances as he presses on with his invasion of Ukraine, reported The Bell online media outlet, citing unnamed sources.

It said ​Putin ⁠met top Russia’s businessmen behind closed doors on Thursday.

The Financial Times also published a similar report ⁠on Thursday, citing three people familiar with the matter. The Bell, ​citing ⁠the sources, said Putin discussed ‌military funding and continuation of the war, which is in its fifth year since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Russia ‌ will fight on, Putin said, until ‌ it captures the remaining areas of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region not under its control, the report added.

The Bell also said billionaire Suleiman Kerimov at ⁠the meeting with Putin pledged to donate 100bn roubles ($1.23bn).

As the war in Ukraine drags on, Russia is facing a double whammy of falling budget revenues from energy ‌sales and of an economic slowdown, which affects tax ​income from other sectors of the economy.

Sources told ‌Reuters earlier this month that ⁠the Russian government has been preparing a possible 10 per cent ⁠cut to all “non-sensitive” spending in this year’s budget, but the final decision will ‌hinge on ​the sustainability of the oil ‌price rise triggered by the Iran ​war.

Canada ⁠has announced addition ⁠sanctions ​against ⁠Russia, ⁠adding 100 ​more vessels ⁠from ‌Russia’s shadowfleet ‌to its ‌sanctions ⁠list, Global Affairs Canada said in a statement yesterday.

Just hours earlier, prime minister Keir Starmer said ⁠he had authorised the military ​to ⁠board and detain Russian ships in British waters to disrupt a ⁠network of vessels that his government ​says ⁠enables Moscow to export ‌oil despite Western sanctions.

Vladyslav Heraskevych was shunned by the Olympics, then invited to the United Nations.

He never expected that would happen.

The Ukrainian skeleton athlete was not allowed to compete at the Milan Cortina Games because of his plan to wear a helmet paying tribute to some of those killed following Russia‘s invasion of his country.

He spoke on a panel at the UN on Thursday detailing why he still believes he made the right decision.

“I think it’s important that we use this stage and talk about important things,” Heraskevych said at the opening ceremony of Change the World Model United Nations, an educational simulation for thousands of students.

“Sometimes it feels like, in all these hours of training, we really forgot about the overall mission of sports. It is not only about the medals, but it’s also about values that we represent.”

By any and every definition, that would make Russia an enemy of the US. This is not the first time that Western intelligence has informed the public that Russia has been helping Iran in fighting the US and Israel and in attacking US allies, including the UK, in and beyond the Gulf.

Zelensky confirmed his arrival on X, stating: “Arrived in Saudi Arabia. Important meetings are scheduled.” He added: “We appreciate the support and support those who are ready to work with us to ensure security.”

The Russian embassy in London has criticised the British government’s announcement that it could detain Russia’s “shadow fleet” vessels in its waters and threatened a response.

Moscow will respond with political, legal and “asymmetric” measures, the Russian ⁠embassy in London said in a statement quoted by the state-run TASS news agency.

Sir Keir Starmer said ⁠he had authorised the military ​to ⁠board and detain Russian ships in British waters to disrupt a ⁠network of vessels that his government ​says ⁠enables Moscow to export ‌oil despite Western sanctions.

The Russian statement said Sir Keir’s announcement was “yet another deeply hostile step ‌directed at Russia”.

“Reckless statements ‌about the intention to attack Russian merchant ships directly show an aspiration to escalate an already ⁠tense situation in the field of security and international trade,” it said.

“Such actions have consequences. Navigation becomes unsafe in British waters, where any vessel may be subject to piratical seizure. Russia will use all ‌political, legal, and other tools at our ​disposal, including asymmetric ones, to ‌protect our interests.”

Other European ⁠nations have also stepped up ⁠efforts to disrupt the so-called shadow fleet of tankers ‌used by ​Moscow to fund its ‌four-year war against Ukraine.

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has said the war-hit nation is ready to sell its battle-tested defence systems in surplus to partners.

This would enable Ukraine to finance its own defence industry which is operating at only half capacity due to a lack of funding, and defence deals could help strengthen Ukraine’s position.

“Our defence industry is currently operating at half capacity, and we need more financing to produce drones for ourselves. That’s why we are ready to sell to our partners the systems we have in surplus. And we’re not just selling – we’ll provide our expertise as well. Interceptor drones don’t work without our expertise. It’s the system that works,” Zelensky said, speaking to Le Monde.

He added that Ukraine is now discussing future deliveries of certain equipment that Ukraine has.

“We want Middle Eastern countries to give us the opportunity to strengthen ourselves as well. They have some air defence missiles that we lack. We would like to reach agreements on this. Funding is the scarcest resource today,” he said.