Russian Farmers Come Out To Protest
- 18.03.2026, 17:28
The conflict with the authorities is escalating.
Protests continue in Russia's Novosibirsk region over the mass seizure and destruction of livestock, writes "Meduza".
Local residents say the animals are being killed allegedly because of a "dangerous disease," but it has not been officially named. People also complain about the lack of explanations from the authorities and meager compensation, as livestock was their main source of income.
The conflict escalated in early March, when residents of several villages began to block the machinery engaged in killing animals. According to local media, cows, pigs and sheep had been destroyed in the region since February.
The authorities explained their actions by outbreaks of rabies and pasteurellosis. At the same time, farmers claim that the animals looked healthy, and no tests were conducted before slaughter.
Experts note that the reaction to different diseases should be different. In particular, pasteurellosis is usually treatable and requires isolation of sick animals rather than complete destruction of the stock. At the same time, in rabies outbreaks, more severe measures are possible, but even in such cases total slaughter is considered a last resort.
Despite this, sanitary services are acting tough: animals are seized in herds, operations are carried out with the participation of the police, and protesters are detained. According to available information, the number of destroyed animals is estimated in thousands, and the carcasses are disposed of at special landfills.
At the same time, the situation has caused a wide resonance in social networks, where users link it to other problems in the country - rising prices, restriction of the Internet and pressure on citizens.
The victims include former Russian occupants who lost livestock purchased with their own savings. In particular, a resident of the village of Chernokurya, Karasuksky district, Novosibirsk region, Anton Dolzhenko said that he bought the animals with compensation received after being wounded in the war in Ukraine.