Russia has abruptly decided to halt dairy imports from Armenia. The agricultural safety agency Rosselkhoznadzor announced on Friday that the ban would take effect on Monday, July 27, citing health violations and supply chain tracking problems.
The agency reported that a week-long inspection found that milk from infected animals was used in the production of dairy products exported to Russia. Products from five Armenian companies will be temporarily blocked from entering Russia.
Rosselkhoznadzor also noted that high-fat dairy products made with raw materials from third countries were detected, which violates agreements to use domestic inputs or those sourced from the Eurasian Economic Union. Accusing Armenian authorities of failing to establish a reliable verification system, the agency said the problems reflect violations that emerged in 2023 and 2024.
Rosselkhoznadzor said, "This is especially true for milk collected from individual private farms that cannot guarantee the safety of their products," adding that Armenia's laboratory infrastructure requires "urgent attention."
The development is seen as another example of Moscow using economic pressure tools against former Soviet republics pursuing pro-Western policies. Russia had also banned imports of tomatoes and other products from five Uzbekistan-based exporters starting Thursday, citing pest contamination.