The population is entitled to only a symbolic compensation.
In the Altai Krai and Novosibirsk region, hundreds of cows have been destroyed. Farmers say they are not even shown documents justifying the culling. Videos are circulating showing protests against the extermination of animals.
Local authorities justify their actions with quarantine measures due to outbreaks of diseases such as pasteurellosis and foot-and-mouth disease. Farmers refer to a 2022 order from the Russian Ministry of Agriculture stating that pasteurellosis in livestock can be treated with hyperimmune serum and antibiotics.
Regional veterinary services claim that pasteurellosis is treatable, but it is not economically viable: the quarantine is prolonged, and losses outweigh the cost of treatment. Farmers demand independent examinations and accuse veterinary services of not always taking blood samples before issuing orders for destruction.
The mass culling of cows threatens the livelihoods of thousands of families. In the Novosibirsk region, owners of confiscated livestock are entitled to compensation of only 170 rubles (1.8 euros) per kg of meat.
Amid outbreaks of rabies and pasteurellosis among cattle in the Novosibirsk region, a state of emergency has been declared. According to regional Minister of Agriculture Andrei Shindelov, this measure is intended to "coordinate the actions of relevant authorities and curb the movement of animals and products." The Investigative Committee of Russia has begun an investigation into complaints from Novosibirsk farmers about the mass confiscation of livestock.
Political scientist Dmitry Oreshkin discusses the potential reasons for the culling of livestock in the Novosibirsk region and why authorities do not explain to farmers the reasons for the destruction of animals:
"I believe we underestimate the depth of the problem. If it concerns an episode of rabies or pasteurellosis, there are certain geographical patterns - where it can exist and where it cannot. One of the geographical patterns is that the Novosibirsk region houses major centers for the production of biological weapons. Those who have read David Hoffman's book 'Dead Hand' will remember how it describes the situation with the leak of biotoxins - anthrax spores in what was then Sverdlovsk. Naturally, this was not officially acknowledged. The State Scientific Center for Virology and Biotechnology 'Vector' in the science city of Koltsovo near Novosibirsk was created precisely for the production of biological weapons. In the 1990s, it was repurposed for peaceful research. Nevertheless, I have no doubt that biotoxins or biologically aggressive compounds are being produced somewhere.
And if they are being produced somewhere, it can only be in this center. We cannot say with complete certainty that a virus leak occurred from this laboratory. But indirect signs allow for serious consideration of this topic. If this is the case, then the hysterical reaction of the authorities is quite understandable. We are being told about the terrible disease 'pasteurellosis.' Excuse me, but this is a bacterium that is treated with antibiotics. If this is a naturally occurring focal disease, there would not be hysteria, there would not be mass culling of livestock; veterinarians would simply come and vaccinate the animals. But here, it is not just a culling; it is also a culling with powerful armed support. The carcasses are immediately burned to leave no trace. There is something unhealthy about this story. And the fact that the public is not being explained anything is natural. The authorities behaved the same way during the anthrax outbreak in Sverdlovsk in 1979," recalls Dmitry Oreshkin.
