What is the essence of Russia's campaign to destroy Western food imports? It's these 3 geese.
Nearly a dozen people and a bulldozer spent the better part of August 12 discovering, confiscating, and destroying illegally imported food in the town of Apastovo, located in Russia's Tatarstan, about 500 miles east of Moscow. The contraband in question? Three geese found in a grocery store without the proper documentation. Police also noted that the geese's packaging was only in English.
After seizing the geese, the officials and a handful of witnesses relocated to a trash dump, where a bulldozer crushed the three birds, laid out in a row on the ground. The bulldozer rolls over the geese four times, before plowing them into a landfill.
On July 29, President Putin signed an executive decree ordering the destruction of sanctioned food imports. His order, however, is short on details about how exactly officials are meant to carry out this massive undertaking. As a result, various state actors and agencies have used all manner of available resources to burn, bulldoze, and bury hundreds of tons of boycotted food.
Meduza survived 2024 thanks to its readers!
Let’s stick together for 2025.
The world is at a crossroads today, and quality journalism will help shape the decades to come. The real stories must be told at any cost. Please support Meduza by signing up for a recurring donation.