Rosselkhoznadzor announced restrictions on fish imports from Armenia.

Only two fish farms are allowed to import fish from Armenia; the remaining companies must suspend certification for deliveries to Russia, Rosselkhoznadzor stated. According to the Fish Union, Armenia accounts for approximately 7% of Russia's trout supplies.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," Rosselkhoznadzor imposed temporary restrictions on the import of flowers from Armenia starting May 22, 2026, and on fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, herbs, and strawberries starting May 30. Rospotrebnadzor explained the suspension of imports of all batches of Armenian mineral water "Jermuk" to Russia as a "temporary sanitary measure" due to detected excess chemical content. Rosselkhoznadzor also announced a ban on the import of certain cognacs and wines into Russia. Products from Armenia do not meet the phytosanitary requirements of the Eurasian Economic Union and Russia, Rosselkhoznadzor stated. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called such bans common practice, while opposition members saw political overtones in Russia's actions.

From May 21 to 27, 2026, Rosselkhoznadzor inspected fish processing plants in Armenia and also visited trout farms. Fifty percent of the enterprises refused the inspection, the agency reported on its website.

Based on the inspection results, effective June 2, 2026, the Armenian side is required to suspend veterinary certification for Russian recipients of live fish and fish products from all Armenian companies, with the exception of two that passed the inspection, until the current situation is resolved. Fish products from the two approved factories will be imported to Russia subject to laboratory monitoring for safety indicators, the statement said.

In 2025, according to estimates by the Fish Union, the volume of fish, crustaceans, and mollusks exported from Armenia to Russia was valued at $72 million. In physical terms, this amounted to 9,000 tons. The Fish Union estimates Armenia's share of trout imports in 2025 at 7% in physical terms. From January to April 2026, this share increased to 12%, amounting to 2,600 tons. Other major trout suppliers to Russia include Turkey, Iran, and China, according to the Fish Union. Small volumes of products are imported from Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Georgia, Kommersant reports.

As a reminder, on May 27, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova reported that Moscow had warned Yerevan in an official letter of its readiness to terminate the agreement on the supply of gas, oil products, and diamonds if Armenia joins the European Union, RBK reports.

Russia is imposing restrictions on imports from Armenia as Armenian political forces prepare for parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7. Meanwhile, the European Political Community summit and the Armenia-EU summit were held in Yerevan in early May. In this regard, Russian pro-government media accused Armenia of "betrayal" and an anti-Russian course, and Vladimir Putin noted that the Armenian authorities should decide as soon as possible on whether to join the EU or the EAEU. Putin previously stated that combining Armenia's course toward rapprochement with the EU and membership in the Eurasian Economic Union is "impossible by definition," and noted that Moscow "would like" all pro-Russian political forces to participate in the parliamentary elections in Armenia.

The June parliamentary elections in Armenia will effectively be a referendum on the future of Nikol Pashinyan's government and the country's foreign policy. At stake is the preservation of power by the current team or its transition to the opposition, which promises to reconsider the key decisions of recent years, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "2026 Elections to the National Assembly (Parliament) of Armenia". Samvel Karapetyan's "Strong Armenia", along with Robert Kocharyan's "Armenia" bloc and Gagik Tsarukyan's "Prosperous Armenia" party, is one of the most pro-Russian parties in the parliamentary elections of Armenia. The Kremlinis betting on Karapetyan, but by law he cannot participate in the elections, Armenian political scientists pointed out earlier.

As a reminder, in August 2025, hundreds of trucks carrying grapes, plums, and peaches were not allowed to enter Russia at the Upper Lars checkpoint and were forced to return to Armenia. This problem is political in nature, said opposition MP Garnik Danielyan.