Krasnov said prosecutors intervened in cases of “economically unjustified” increases in wholesale prices for basic goods such as raw milk and butter, warning 12 major agricultural enterprises of consequences. <\/p>\n
“Potatoes, eggs, milk, and butter are becoming more expensive<\/a>… But some unscrupulous producers, suppliers, or sellers are allowing themselves to profit in this way,” Krasnov said.<\/p>\n “Here’s a concrete example: the recent record rise in potato prices. A whole range of measures, including the involvement of prosecutors, helped stabilize prices.”<\/p>\n Russia’s annual inflation<\/a> slowed to 8.8% in July, compared to 9.4% in June, but remains well above the Central Bank’s 4\u20135% target. Food and services are driving the surge.<\/p>\n Amid high inflation, the Russian government was preparing to cap prices<\/a> on key staples \u2014 including vegetables, dairy, and poultry \u2014 starting in March 2026. <\/p>\n The Russian agriculture and trade ministries are currently drafting amendments, pro-Kremlin media outlet Kommersant reported in August.<\/p>\n “According to eyewitness accounts, the price hikes are very significant,” Maria Snegovaya, Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told the Kyiv Independent in August.<\/p>\n “This issue is highly sensitive for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s regime<\/a>,” Snegovaya said. “It undermines their ability to keep pretending that ‘everything is fine and nothing is happening.'”<\/p>\n Analysts warn that such steps signal a deeper shift toward a command economy. <\/p>\n “Russia is now shifting toward a fully planned, command-style system, with all its usual flaws \u2014 constant food shortages, long queues, and everything else that comes with it,” Russian-born economist Igor Lipsits told<\/a> the Kyiv Independent in August.<\/p>\n The clampdown on prices underscores growing economic strain as record defense spending<\/a> crowds out civilian sectors, leaving Russian consumers squeezed between high costs.<\/p>\n