Russians Resort to Stealing Butter Amid Shortages

Amid shortages of basic groceries in Russia as a result of its war in Ukraine, instances of petty thefts of essential items have been reported online, with butter emerging as one of the targeted products.

This has caught the attention of authorities and suggests growing economic hardships among everyday citizens as the country grapples with the impact of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of its neighbor.

A video shared to the X (formerly Twitter) page of Anton Gerashchenko, former Ukraine government adviser, appears to show CCTV footage of men stealing butter in a Russian supermarket.

The video shows a man carrying a basket taking multiple packs of butter from the shelves stowing them inside his coat and backpack and placing some in his basket. The video then shows what appears to be the man fighting with a store employee, who chases him out of the store.

Another man is then briefly apprehended in the store before the first man returns and appears to threaten the employees. Both men then appear to leave the store.

Gerashchenko wrote: "Russian Telegram channels report that two men robbed a supermarket in Moscow of 25 packs of butter. An employee tried to stop them, but then one of the men pulled out a knife. Police have already detained two suspects, they are 29 and 25 years old. A criminal case was opened. The men face up to 10 years in prison."

In another X post, Gerashchenko wrote: "Until 2022, butter was supplied to Russia from all over the world, but then imports decreased by 10 times - from 40 to 4 thousand tons. After 2022, only Belarus remained as a supplier of butter to the Russian market, and it is not able to fully meet the demand, although its goods make up 15% of all Russian dairy products."

Newsweek cannot verify the authenticity of the videos and has contacted the Russian Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday via email for comment.

Supermarkets in major cities, including Moscow, have reportedly been forced to take measures to counter the theft with some stores now placing butter inside plastic or glass cases.

An unverified video posted by another user on X shows butter placed in clear, secure containers in supermarkets. The caption states: "Russians have sunk so low they're now stealing butter from stores because they can't afford it. Stores lock it up in plastic boxes to keep it safe."

The shortages in the country stem from a combination of supply chain disruptions, Western sanctions, and declining domestic production. As reported by state-owned news outlet Moskow 24, large butter-making enterprises have begun to reduce production and suspend shipments of their products to retail chains.

One production company cited 46 percent cumulative inflation for eight months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, partly due to aggressive inflation costs of raw cream. Prices for dairy items, including butter, have soared this year, per the report. The price of the butter itself has soared by 55 percent.

Import restrictions on some dairy products and the ruble's steep depreciation have only intensified the squeeze on household goods like butter. Economists point to continued inflation compounded by global food shortages as further exacerbating Russia's economic challenges.

Russia enacted a two-year ban on imports from EU countries, including items such as cheese, fish, and meat. Since the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Newsweek has reported on several instances of food shortages and high prices due to inflation caused by international sanctions.