Russia's Siberian Novosibirsk region has declared a state of emergency to combat an outbreak of cattle disease, following weeks of protests from small farmers whose livelihoods are threatened by forced culling. The measures have led to widespread resistance against the removal of livestock.
Andrei Shindelov, the region's agriculture minister, told state news agency TASS that the emergency would allow "for effective coordination of actions and the containment of the movement of animals and animal products." Officials have identified five outbreaks of pasteurellosis, a severe bacterial pneumonia, and 42 cases of rabies in the area where farm animals are being removed.
Media reports and social media posts show thousands of cows and other cattle being burned to contain the diseases. Villagers have been confronting police and officials in an attempt to resist the seizure of their animals. In one video, Svetlana Panina, a local farmer, chases Shindelov through the corridors of a local administration building, saying she would soon not be able to eat or pay her bills. Panina says she lost 200 head of cattle, including three camels, and was not at home when the animals were taken.
Shindelov's statement, as reported by TASS, says the emergency was declared a month ago. But many farmers say they were unaware of it, and that pasteurellosis does not require culling and can be treated with antibiotics. The cattle seizures mainly affected small farms, while larger agricultural enterprises were spared, angering farmers.
The emergency allows farmers to seek compensation for culled animals, and local officials said the first payments were being processed. The Russian agriculture watchdog blamed the scale of the outbreak on extreme winter cold in Siberia, which weakened the animals' immunity, and urged farmers not to use feed of unknown origin.
Several other Siberian regions reported smaller outbreaks or said they were on alert. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that "there are some cases when a fast reaction is needed," adding that affected regions were coordinating their actions with Moscow. The agriculture ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Several people were briefly detained, but no major crackdown on protesters has been reported.
