Pensioner brawl over expired food highlights desperation in Russia

A dramatic video captured on the streets of St Petersburg was first aired on NextaTV. It depicted several pensioners skirmishing beside a grocery store over expired food items discarded in the trash. Local journalists have attributed the fight to desperation for expired food items thrown out by the store.

The scuffling pensioners aimed to salvage the least spoiled potatoes, sour milk, or spoiling sausage. Items meant for export, currently scarce in St Petersburg because of the ongoing war, are also highly sought after. These items have led to particularly intense conflicts among the food-deprived seniors.

As NextaTV journalists reported, such occurrences are not unique. Residents have voiced concerns over frequent incidents involving desperate seniors scavenging for food. Moreover, there appears to be a growing trend of such incidents, as the cost of living in many major Russian cities has dramatically increased due to the ongoing war.

The recent scenes in St Petersburg are highly symbolic. The city is once again grappling with war-induced hunger, reminiscent of a grim period eighty years ago when the then Leningrad was under siege by German forces for 900 days, resulting in over a million deaths from starvation.

Vladimir Putin is acutely aware of the demoralization of the populace and the societal damage it entails. Though he was not born during the siege, his family was directly affected, as his older brother died from the harsh conditions of the time.