Russia’s agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor introduced temporary restrictions on imports of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, herbs and strawberries from Armenia on May 30, 2026. The measures will remain in force until a mechanism guaranteeing the safety of supplied products is developed.

The agency said the decision followed an increase in violations detected in shipments of Armenian fruit and vegetables to Russia and was intended to protect the country’s phytosanitary safety.

Rosselkhoznadzor also said Armenia’s competent authorities had not taken the necessary steps to eliminate previously identified violations. Under earlier agreements, agency specialists inspected Armenian companies from May 21 to May 27, 2026, and found a number of violations.

According to the watchdog, quarantine pests posing a threat to Eurasian Economic Union member states were found in greenhouse complexes. The findings were supported by repeated detections of quarantine organisms in Armenian produce imported into Russia. A total of 181 such cases have been recorded since the beginning of 2026.

Rosselkhoznadzor’s information system also shows that substantial volumes of fruit and vegetables are supplied to Russia through Armenian foreign-trade participants whose form of ownership has not been established. The agency said such suppliers evade quarantine phytosanitary controls.

Rosselkhoznadzor concluded that the situation indicates insufficient traceability of products exported from Armenia to Russia.

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