Russians are being forced to eat expired food as they can no longer afford items as simple as cucumbers amid the four-year-long war in Ukraine. Cucumber prices in Russia have surged by over 100% since December 2025, reaching an average of over 300 rubles (\u00a32.88) per kg in February 2026.<\/p>\n
Prices in some areas have reached up to 500 to 1,000 (\u00a34.80 to (\u00a39.59) rubles per kg – a whopping 43% increase in just one month. In the past three months, prices have increased by over 111%, driven by inflation, higher production costs<\/a>, and the winter season.<\/p>\n Russians have taken to the social media platform Telegram to despair at the situation, posting videos of the eye-watering prices and questioning what they can now afford to eat.<\/p>\n One young woman said: “What\u2019s happening with food prices? What are we going to eat? Pasta and water? I don\u2019t buy clothes or cosmetics, I don\u2019t go to the doctor, I try not to buy any supplements or pills. All that\u2019s left to do is give up food.”<\/p>\n Natalia, from Vladivostok, said she’s “filled with rage” by the thought of doing the weekly food shop as she’s forced to eat expired goods.<\/p>\n She told Russian independent news outlet Meduza: “Lately, the mere thought of going to the grocery store fills me with rage. For almost a year now, I\u2019ve been surviving on expired food sold near my building.<\/p>\n