Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, Rosselkhoznadzor, announced temporary restrictions starting May 30 on imports of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, greens and strawberries originating from or exported through Armenia.

According to the agency, the restrictions will remain in place until an appropriate mechanism ensuring the safety of exported products is developed.

Rosselkhoznadzor said the decision was made due to an increase in violations detected during shipments of Armenian fruit and vegetable products entering Russia, as well as concerns over phytosanitary security.

The agency stated that the current situation poses a threat to Russia’s phytosanitary condition.

According to Rosselkhoznadzor, the relevant Armenian authorities had previously failed to take the necessary measures to address earlier violations.

Within the framework of earlier agreements, Rosselkhoznadzor inspectors carried out inspections at Armenian enterprises between May 21 and May 27, 2026.

During the inspections, several violations were identified, including quarantine pests in greenhouse complexes that are considered harmful for Eurasian Economic Union member states.

The agency said that 181 such cases involving Armenian fruit and vegetable imports had been recorded during 2026.

Rosselkhoznadzor also stated that, according to data from its information system, large volumes of fruit and vegetables are being supplied to Russia by numerous Armenian foreign trade companies whose ownership structures remain unknown and which allegedly avoid quarantine phytosanitary inspections.

The agency concluded that this indicates the absence of a proper product traceability system on the Armenian side for exports to Russia.

On May 27, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the Russian Embassy in Armenia had officially delivered a letter from Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilyov warning about the possible suspension or unilateral cancellation of a 2013 agreement if Armenia continues the process of joining the European Union. The agreement concerns cooperation in the supply of natural gas, petroleum products and unprocessed natural diamonds.