Against the background of the shortage of basic food in Russia as a result of the war in Ukraine, cases of petty theft of essential items have been reported online, with butter being one of the products targeted.

This has caught the attention of the authorities and suggests growing economic hardship among ordinary citizens as the country grapples with the impact of the Russian president. Vladimir Putinthe invasion of its neighbor.

A video shared with X (ex Twitter) page of Anton Gerashchenko, ex Ukraine government adviser, appears to show CCTV footage of men stealing butter from a Russian supermarket.

The video shows a man carrying a basket, taking several packets of butter from the shelves, storing them in his coat and backpack, and placing some in the basket. The video then shows what appears to be the man arguing with a store employee, who kicks him out of the store.

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

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

In another X postGerashchenko wrote: “Until 2022, butter was supplied to Russia from all over the world, but then imports decreased 10 times – from 40 to 4 thousand tons. After 2022, only Belarus remained as a supplier of butter on the Russian market and is unable to fully meet demand, although its goods account for 15% of all Russian dairy products.”

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

Supermarkets in major cities, including Moscow, they have been forced to take measures to counter theft, with some shops now placing butter in plastic or glass boxes.

An unverified video posted by another user on X shows butter placed in transparent safe containers in supermarkets. The caption reads: “The Russians have sunk so low that they are now stealing butter from the shops because they can’t afford it. Stores seal it in plastic boxes to keep it safe.”

The shortage in the country stems from a combination of supply chain disruptions, Western sanctions and declining domestic production. As reported by the state-run news publication Moskow 24, major butter-producing enterprises began to reduce production and suspend deliveries of their products to retail chains.

One manufacturing company cited 46% cumulative inflation for the eight months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, partly due to aggressive raw cream inflation costs. Prices of dairy products, including butter, have risen this year, according to the report. The price of butter itself rose by 55 percent.

Import restrictions for some dairy products and the sharp depreciation of the ruble only intensified the pressure on household goods such as butter. Economists point out that continued inflation, compounded by global food shortages, further exacerbates Russia’s economic challenges.

Russia has 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 he reported more cases of food shortages and high prices because of inflation caused by international sanctions.