In Russia, Amid The Fuel Crisis, Vegetable And Meat Prices Have Begun To Rise Sharply

10.07.2026, 21:01
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Rising fuel prices have become the main risk to inflation.

The fuel crisis, which has swept across nearly all Russian regions and sent gasoline and diesel prices soaring, has begun to drive up inflation on supermarket shelves, reports The Moscow Times.

From late May through July 6, average prices for potatoes and onions rose by 27.7%, for cabbage by 18.8%, for beets by 17.2%, and carrots by 13.1%, according to Rosstat data. Among the top ten items with the highest price increases, in addition to these, were vacations on the Black Sea coast and in Southeast Asia (7.5% and 8.8%), as well as chicken (6.1%).

Gasoline and diesel prices rose by 8.9% and 10.5%, respectively, over the same period, while annual fuel inflation approached 20%, setting a record high in more than 15 years.

Rising fuel prices have become the main risk to inflation, notes Freedom Global analyst Vladimir Chernov. Fuel prices are rising nearly three times faster than overall inflation: for motorists, this hits their wallets directly, but for the economy as a whole, this factor is even more important, he emphasizes: “Rising costs for transportation, goods delivery, agricultural work, fertilizer production, and certain services are, as a result, driving up inflation in the country. Therefore, fuel can influence inflation not only directly but also indirectly, with a lag, through the prices of food and everyday goods.”

The fuel crisis has compounded seasonal factors. Travel always becomes more expensive during the vacation season, but this effect has been amplified by rising fuel prices. And vegetables, which usually become cheaper in the summer, saw their prices drop in May this year. “In recent weeks, there has been a reversal in the price dynamics of fruits and vegetables following an unusually sharp decline in the spring,” Central Bank Chair Elvira Nabiullina noted on June 19.

The fuel crisis has acted as a catalyst. If gasoline continues to rise in price at the same rate, “logistics costs and the expenses of agricultural companies will increase, which will be passed on to final prices,” warned financier Evgeny Kogan. Vladislav Inozemtsev, co-founder of the CASE analytical center, believes that this is exactly what is happening: he attributes the acceleration in price growth for many goods, among other things, to the fact that both manufacturers and retailers are beginning to factor in increased logistics costs. This is precisely what the Central Bank fears: rising fuel prices could be passed on to the prices of other goods and services through transportation and production costs, as its officials noted at a meeting on the key interest rate.

Prices are affected not only by the direct rise in fuel prices but also by fuel shortages. As a result, delivering goods has become not only more expensive but also takes longer, with many trucks sitting idle. The impact on prices is all the more significant the cheaper the product is and the shorter its shelf life.

Among the goods whose prices have risen by more than 1% over the past month or so are sugar (2.9%), apples (2%), four out of ten medications included in the weekly consumer basket (1–2.3%; the rest rose by 0.3–0.9%), animal feed (1.8%), smartphones (1.7%), fish (1.4%), and bread (1%).

Dmitry Belousov, head of the TsMAKP analytical center, attributed the June rise in vegetable prices to the arrival of the new harvest on the market. He hopes this effect will subside and that the authorities will be able to resolve the fuel crisis. Russians do not believe this will happen. Nearly half (49%) of those surveyed by FOM in early July expect prices for food, goods, and services to rise faster next month than they are now.

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In Russia, Amid The Fuel Crisis, Vegetable And Meat Prices Have Begun To Rise Sharply

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