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Attempt to import Armenian roses through Belarus was stopped in Russia

27 July 2026 21:50 (UTC +04:00)

Rosselkhoznadzor (Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance) has thwarted an attempt to import Armenian roses into Russia via Belarus using forged documents, APA reports.

"On June 18, 2026, agency inspectors, working with Smolensk customs officers, seized 39,200 flowers. The vehicle transporting this shipment, driven by a Belarusian citizen, was traveling from the Minsk region to Moscow. In the accompanying documents, the carrier declared the cargo as non-alcoholic energy drinks," the statement reads.

During an inspection of the cargo hold, flowers were discovered that lacked phytosanitary and shipping documents. "The surviving fragments of the identification labels indicate their Armenian origin," the agency reported.

On June 12, Rosselkhoznadzor (the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance) imposed temporary restrictions on the import into Russia, as well as the transit through its territory, of quarantine products originating in and shipped from Armenia. These restrictions were introduced in accordance with the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union to prevent the introduction of dangerous quarantine organisms into the country.

"Due to the ban on the supply of these types of goods to the Russian market, as well as the lack of documents confirming the safety and legality of their transportation, the Rosselkhoznadzor Administration has decided to dispose of this batch of roses. The carrier has been held administratively liable under Article 10.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation," Rosselkhoznadzor reported.