Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Russia is already struggling with a domestic food crisis, and the Kremlin’s priorities are not making things better.
When a country channels its energy toward a massive war effort, quiet casualties often pile up back home.
Essential industries usually find themselves forced to wait in line.
Now, unexpected economic ripple effects are hitting Russian farmers right when crops need gathering.
Running on empty
According to Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service (HUR), Russian farmers are facing a severe crisis as the autumn harvest gets underway. Cheap loans are disappearing, essential supplies are dwindling, and shipping crops overseas has turned into an uphill battle.
The problem comes down to basic priorities. While tractors sit idle across the countryside, the military gets first pick of the nation’s remaining fuel reserves.
According to HUR, government support programs are drying up at the worst possible moment. Financial pressure is already pushing many agricultural businesses toward severe losses.
“Instead of supporting farmers, the Agriculture Ministry cut subsidized lending precisely when many farms were already operating on the edge of profitability,” the intelligence service said.
Pressure on the fields
Fuel shortages pose an immediate threat to the harvest. Recent estimates from Ukrainian intelligence show that Russia is missing roughly 20 percent of its needed fuel supply.
Successful drone attacks damaged nearly ten of the country’s largest oil refineries. The strikes initially hit high-octane petrol, but the shortage soon spread to diesel fuel. That is a massive blow for farmers who need diesel to run heavy machinery, tractors, and combine harvesters.
To protect local stocks, Moscow temporarily halted diesel exports through July. Still, regional complaints are mounting rapidly. Growers in regions like Rostov, Krasnodar, Irkutsk, and the Altai Territory reported severe delivery delays.
Domestic food crisis
In February 2026, the BBC reported that the cost of living in Russia was increasing, with one Russian revealing his monthly budget for food had increased by 22% in just a month.
Comparing the prices at the time with prices for the same products in 2024, the BBC found that the cost of potatoes had increased by 167%, canned beans by 55%, and sliced white bread by 45%.
