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For a 2026 price comparison, Moscow prices were converted at an exchange rate of 76.9 rubles per dollar, which was the average rate in April 2026.

For a New York Times article on Russian supermarket prices, price changes shown in the opening video were based on Rosstat’s national average consumer prices.

As of September 2026, at least 64 of Russia's 85 regions, including annexed areas of Ukraine, were reporting fuel shortages.

In September 2026, Russian President Vladimir V. Putin issued a decree placing the European companies Nestlé and Auchan under temporary external administration.

In Russia, some milk manufacturers have reduced the size of their containers from one liter to 900 milliliters.

After French dairy company Danone exited Russia, the Kremlin seized its assets and sold them to a businessman loyal to the government.

Andrey, a 30-year-old teacher in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region, stated his monthly take-home pay is between 42,000 and 45,000 rubles (about $498 to $534).

Following Danone's exit from Russia, its products Activia and Actimel were rebranded into localized versions.

While many Western chocolate brands like Lindt and KitKat have left Russia, Milka and Alpen Gold are still produced in Russian factories.

The new iPhone 18 was available for purchase in Moscow one day after its launch in the United States.

According to official data, Russia's Consumer Price Index (C.P.I.) was 6 percent for the period of January to May 2026.

After overheating in 2024, the Russian economy began to stabilize in 2025.

Independent economist Andrei Barkhota estimated in September 2026 that for the preceding 12 months, the real Consumer Price Index for poor citizens in Russia's rural regions was about 25 to 45 percent.

Russia seized the Ukrainian vodka brand Khortytsia and rebranded it as Horta.

In September 2026, the Russian Federal State Statistics Service reported that the cost of basic borscht ingredients (cabbage, beets, carrots, potatoes) had increased by 20 to 30 percent over the past year.

Between December 2021 and July 2026, the consumer price index for beef rose by 76% in Russia, compared to a 33% rise in the United States, according to Rosstat and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Between December 2021 and July 2026, the consumer price index for bread rose by 61% in Russia, compared to a 25% rise in the United States, according to Rosstat and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Article author Valerie Hopkins visited the site of a drone strike that occurred in central Moscow during the summer of 2023.

Between December 2021 and July 2026, the consumer price index for margarine rose by 60% in Russia, compared to a 41% rise in the United States, according to Rosstat and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In Russia, companies increased wages to retain workers after millions of people went to fight in the war against Ukraine or to work for the military-industrial complex.