Russia faces firewood shortage and rising prices before winter - SVR

Residents of Russian villages, especially in regions bordering Ukraine, are entering the winter season with despair due to rising firewood prices and a lack of assistance from the authorities. This was reported by UNN with reference to the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.

Details

Thus, in the coastal area, firewood prices have almost doubled - to 40-46 thousand rubles per 10 cubic meters. At the same time, the average salary in the region is about 30 thousand rubles. However, even at such a price, it is difficult to buy firewood - queues have stretched for months.

A similar situation is observed in other Russian regions - from Belgorod to Karelia. According to Ukrainian intelligence, local authorities promise compensation or subsidies, but real assistance is limited to symbolic volumes - a few cubic meters per household. Preference is given to military families, while the rest of the residents are left to their own devices.

In addition, timber is readily sent to the front of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Thus, in temporarily occupied Simferopol, trees were cut down in the city park, preparing 12 cubic meters of firewood for Russian soldiers fighting in the Kherson direction.

Despite colossal timber reserves, firewood is becoming a luxury. Since 2000, its price has increased 28 times. In many regions, a cubic meter costs 3-4.5 thousand rubles, and in some places - up to 7 thousand. To survive the winter, at least ten cubic meters are needed - an unbearable amount for pensioners with an income of 15-16 thousand rubles. The reasons are chaotic forest legislation and bureaucracy. After the liquidation of local forestries and the ban on rural forestry, residents lost access to forests convenient for harvesting. Complex rules for transportation and sale made the firewood business unprofitable, and much of the timber simply rots

At the same time, the Kremlin supplies timber not only to the front but also abroad. As noted by Ukrainian intelligence, last year alone, 19.9 million cubic meters were sold abroad. This is an amount that would be enough to heat half of Russian homes with stove heating, added the SZR of Ukraine.

Recall

In temporarily occupied Crimea near Sevastopol, Russians and collaborators launched a massive destruction of the forest - they are cutting down hundreds of oaks and hornbeams that are more than half a century old, and also preparing plots for elite development.