Russian political expert Piontkovsky says imports account for 80% of foods sold in Moscow / Photo from from-ua.com
Russia's self-imposed food sanctions have hit Moscow residents' wallets as food prices are rising in the capital of Russia, Russian political scientist and journalist Andrey Piontkovsky said during a telethon "Ukraine is Above All" on Ukrainian television's Channel 5.
"The Kremlin mood is close to panic, because the new Western sanctions relate primarily to the Russian elite. As for ordinary people, they are suffering from the self-sanction as food prices are on the rise. The reason is that 80% of the products in Moscow are imports," he said.
According to Piontkovsky, the state propaganda has not too actively supported the message about the counter-sanctions.
"Even the propaganda has not too actively supported this measure – the destruction of foods. The country that has experienced several famines and the siege of Leningrad [during World War II] will perceive it as an indiscriminate step," he said.
As UNIAN reported earlier, starting from August 6, 2015, all food products imported to Russia in violation of the existing embargo must be disposed of. This is stipulated in a Russian presidential decree of July 29.