Russians fear food shortages
Russian officials are urging people not to panic-buy food amid shortage concerns brought on by Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, according to reports.
Western sanctions and airspace bans imposed on Russia have caused the country's economy to tank, sparking fears of food shortages among civilians.
"Russians have absolutely no need to run to the shops and buy up buckwheat, sugar and toilet paper," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday when asked about reports of Russians panic-buying, according to The Moscow Times.
"The fuss around supplies in food stores is extremely emotional," he said.
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Unverified videos online show Russian grocery shoppers fighting over bags of sugar amid reports of sugar shortages in the country.
Inflation has risen at its fastest rate in more than two decades, the Times reported, citing data from the Rosstat statistics agency. Russia has banned exports of sugar and other agricultural products until August.
Other Russian officials echoed Peskov, saying sugar shortages have been brought on by panic-buying consumers rather than a lack of available sugar in Russia.
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Aside from staples like sugar, Russians are also panic-buying medications like insulin and electronics, the Financial Times reported.
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Meanwhile, countries across the globe may feel the impacts of Russia's invasion of Ukraine as the two nations combined make up 30% of the world's wheat exports.
Ukraine also supplies much of the world's sunflower oil. Those supplies are likely to become much more limited globally due to the invasion. In addition, price hikes stemming from Western sanctions on Russian oil and gas companies will increase food shipping prices.
"As the war heats up, dozens of distant countries are set to feel the burn," World Food Program Executive Director David Beasley said in a March 11 statement.
Russia is also seeing many of its young adults fleeing the country the NY Times reports:
See, also:
Russia invasion: Putin becoming 'pariah' before world stage, experts say
The reputational damage of Putin's invasion of Ukraine 'will cripple Russia for a generation to come'
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