Certain components of Russian exports fall by 80% in Aug – Zelenskyy

In August, the value of certain Russian exports dropped by 80%, according to a report from Oleh Ivaschenko, chief of the Main Intelligence Agency (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed this during a series of statements following the report. The Russian economy, already teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, would face significant losses as a result of these declines.

Furthermore, the Russian Black Sea Fleet vessels are currently stranded in Novorossiysk due to Ukrainian drone strikes, rendering them unable to operate at sea. Zelenskyy pointed out that Russia is exploring options such as outfitting civilian ships with small arms, electronic warfare systems, and military personnel to provide convoy protection for merchant and shadow fleets in key ports.

The Ukrainian leader vowed to counter Russia's expansion of its naval capabilities and called for international sanctions against Russia. He stressed that all supplies of components, equipment, and machine tools used in Russia's missile manufacturing must be completely cut off, as Russia would be unable to implement any part of its missile program without foreign components.