Egg prices in Crimea have more than doubled in two weeks, chicken fillet has risen by nearly 150 rubles in a week, and buckwheat and cheap sugar have vanished from stores, according to local residents and pro-government media that typically deny shortages. The pro-Kremlin outlet Tsargrad reported that three dozen eggs cost 210 rubles two weeks ago and now cost 435 rubles.
Industry Minister Anton Alikhanov said fuel restrictions are not affecting the availability of goods in stores, claiming the ministry monitors prices on socially significant products and has not received signals of changes due to the fuel situation. Alikhanov acknowledged that stores are having to adjust logistics but said this does not affect product availability.
Suppliers across Russia are warning retailers of potential supply disruptions, Kommersant reported. Transporters face fuel limits, multi-hour queues at gas stations, and are forced to change routes, postpone or cancel trips. The People's Farmer association, which represents farmers from 72 regions, has asked the Association of Retail Trade Companies (AKORT) not to fine suppliers for late deliveries due to the fuel shortage. Particular difficulties have arisen in Chita, Transbaikal region and Irkutsk Oblast.
Residents of some Crimean cities have noticed that certain types of meat, buckwheat and cheap sugar have disappeared from shelves. Local residents attribute this in part to panic buying — some chain stores have introduced limits on the sale of oil and grains per person. Crimean authorities in late June said there was no shortage of either food or medicine. However, Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev announced that fuel restrictions in the city would last approximately until the end of July.