The EU has extended the sanctions against 146 Russians and inhabitants of the segregated East Ukrainian regions, and against 37 organizations, by six months. As a response to the extension, the Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev repeated his earlier words: the boycott will only be lifted when the sanctions by the Europeans are also lifted. “They (Russia’s countermeasures) will come to an end sooner or later,” the prime minister told press agency Tass. “That’s for sure. But of course we will keep the measures in force as long as there’s external pressure. There shouldn’t be any false hope in that respect.” He also warned that Russia will react if the European sanctions are extended. Finally, the prime minister said the Russian government will keep supporting the agricultural sector.
At the same time, smuggling of fruit and vegetables from boycotted countries to Russia is continuing. In response, Russia frequently intercepts products that don’t meet the import requirements. Destruction awaits for products from boycotted countries. Products from other countries that do not meet the requirements are generally sent back. An overview from last week: 105 MT (pears, onions, dried fruit, pepper, grapefruit and wheat flour) from China, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan was sent back because the accompanying documents weren’t in order, according to Rosselkhoznadzor.
A shipment of tomatoes from Turkey was discovered in the Voronezh region. The products were taken off the market. At the checkpoint in the Chelyabinsk region, 345 kilos of Italian kiwis were intercepted. The kiwis were destroyed. 40 tonnes of radish from Kazakhstan were sent back due to violation of the phytosanitary rules. In the Orenburg region, the inspection found 33,224 kilos of Turkish tomatoes with the wrong labels. The tomatoes were destroyed. More than 700 tonnes of Polish apples were intercepted. The apples were destroyed. A shipment of 20 tonnes of apples of which the country of origin was unclear, was destroyed. The inspection found 19.5 tonnes of tomatoes from Spain. The tomatoes were also destroyed.