The Armenian side found no violations in the Jermuk samples.

Temporary restrictions on the import of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, herbs, and strawberries have been imposed by Rosselkhoznadzor since May 30.

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 the detected excess of chemical substances; 37 million bottles were banned from sale. Rosselkhoznadzor also announced a ban on the import of certain cognacs and wines to Russia. Pashinyan called such bans common practice, while opposition representatives saw political overtones in Russia's actions.

New Jermuk parties blocked in Russia

Rospotrebnadzor sent an additional order to the operator of the state labeling system "Honest Sign" to suspend the sale of 64.5 million units of Jermuk natural mineral drinking carbonated water in the Russian Federation. The order to block new batches is valid from May 28, 2026, until further notice.
 
"The order was based on the manufacturer's violations of mandatory requirements of technical regulation legislation. Excessive levels of bicarbonate ions, chlorides, and sulfates were detected in the water. This could lead to misconceptions about its medicinal properties and negatively impact health," the agency reported, adding that since the beginning of 2026, at the request of Rospotrebnadzor, the operator of the state labeling system "Honest Sign" has already blocked the sale of 38.4 million units of Jermuk bottled water.

An inspection in Armenia found no deviations in the composition of the mineral water

The food safety inspectorate commented to the ARKA news agency on the suspension of the sale of 64.5 million units of Jermuk water in the Russian Federation.

"The regulator conducted a sample collection of Jermuk." According to the results of the laboratory examination, no deviations were found: the content of "hydrocarbonate", "sulfate" and "chloride" ions complied with the standards established by the technical regulations of the Customs Union," the Arka news agency quotes the department's statement.

Since the circulation of "Jermuk" was suspended by the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Economy of Armenia is resolving the issue, the department reported.

Rosselkhoznadzor doubts the competence of the Ministry of Economy of Armenia

Rosselkhoznadzor believes that the ministry is not coping with the powers vested in it after the abolition of the Ministry of Agriculture of Armenia, TASS reports.

The department stated that in Armenia, as a result of the structural reform of the government in 2019, the Ministry of Agriculture was liquidated and issues of state policy in the field of agriculture were assigned to the Ministry of Economy, which is responsible for Agricultural policy, agricultural processing, livestock farming, veterinary medicine, crop production, the use of pesticides and agrochemicals, organic farming, agricultural cooperatives, and fisheries.

"Considering that Russia is the main market for Armenian agricultural products, and the fact that recently imported products from Armenia do not meet the phytosanitary requirements of the EAEU and Russia, it can be assumed that the Armenian Ministry of Economy is failing to fulfill the powers vested in it following the abolition of the Ministry of Agriculture," RIA Novosti quotes the ministry as saying.

Russia imposed restrictions on the import of flowers and mineral water 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.