US Department of Agriculture announced a foot-and-mouth disease epidemic in Russia
According to the US Department of Agriculture, mass confiscations and slaughter of livestock in various regions of Russia, which caused farmer protests, may be linked to a foot-and-mouth disease epidemic. Although authorities officially cite pasteurellosis or rabies as the cause, local sources and trade contacts indicate a possible unconfirmed outbreak of precisely foot-and-mouth disease, as these methods are typically used to combat it, writes The Moscow Times.

Strict quarantine measures, including cordons and movement restrictions, have been introduced in Siberian regions, while pasteurellosis is usually combated with quarantine and medication.
According to a source from a large agricultural holding company in the Novosibirsk region, clinical signs of foot-and-mouth disease in animals were detected as early as February and later confirmed by the veterinary service. As a result, large farms were forced to destroy their herds, doing so before small farmers.
The source notes that authorities are trying to conceal the epidemic because in May 2025, Russia obtained the status of a country free from foot-and-mouth disease. As a member of the World Trade Organization, Russia must report confirmed cases; otherwise, the status is lost, and then other countries may prohibit the import of meat and dairy products from the affected country.
In the Novosibirsk region, livestock will be confiscated from 176 farms. Local authorities note that the disease is taking an irreparable form due to the variability of the pathogen. Experts estimated the direct damage to farmers at 1.6 billion rubles (19.78 million dollars), and including additional losses — about 2 billion rubles (about 24.7 million dollars).
An old stone building near the town hall in Mogilev was being prepared for the city museum. Now it's being turned into an office for the Russian embassy, headed by a former 'LPR' minister
Comments