Western sanctions against Russia have hit the civilian population hard. The price ceiling on Russian oil and export bans on a large number of goods have damaged the country’s economy.
Now there are reports on Russian Telegram channels that there is a shortage of butter and that in some places it has gone so far that people have robbed with knives to get packages of butter from shops.
Ukraine’s former deputy interior minister Anton Herashchenko has shared a clip of X which shows two men robbing a shop in Moscow of 25 packs of butter. An employee tried to stop them, but then one of the men pulled out a knife.
– It is not the first commodity that is in short supply, there has also been a periodical shortage of eggs, which are a highly sought-after commodity in the Russian household, says Russia expert Malcolm Dixelius.
“The Russians are very used to it”
According to the Russian Telegram channels, the price of butter has risen this year and stores have started putting safety labels on butter, as they used to do with expensive alcohol and other luxury items.
Malcolm Dixelius believes that all sanctions are aimed at people in positions of power, the ruble and Russia’s oil imports and not at civilians, but that it is obviously noticeable.
– Of course you can see it, but then you also have to remember that the Russians are very used to supporting themselves. The whole generation to which I belong, those who lived during the Soviet Union, know that you must always take care to acquire things. There is a resilience in the Russian population and there is experience in how to get around shortage situations like this. From time to time it can cause a stir, it is reported on in the media, but it has not in any way reached a level that threatens the regime or that leads to rebellion in the population, he says.
Therefore there will be a food shortage
Exports from the EU to Russia have fallen sharply since the sanctions were introduced, but there are also signs that the goods are coming in via a third country instead. In addition, both China and India have greatly increased their exports. The civilians in the country have been indirectly affected by the sanctions from the West – but also by decisions from within Russia.
– Russia itself boycotts Western goods, and that affects the population, and that is one of the reasons why there are, for example, temporary food shortages and things like that. Then, of course, the Russian government blames the West for it happening, but it is Russian measures. Then there is the weakening of the ruble, which means that there is an inflationary threat all over Russia and it affects the population with increased prices, says Malcolm Dixelius.
How is Russia trying to solve this?
– So far, Russia has quite large monetary reserves. This has been built up thanks to approximately the Norwegian model, thanks to the high oil prices and the fact that you still manage to sell quite a lot of oil. Not at the same high price, but it still provides the government with income. That money is used to subsidize people’s housing loans, for example. It is done so that the measures taken by the outside world will not be so noticeable to the population.