Russian officials 'burn 50 ducklings smuggled across Ukraine border'

The ducklings were reportedly bought from a Ukrainian market

RUSSIAN officials have reportedly burned 50 ducklings which had been smuggled from Ukraine.

 

A man bought the animals from a market in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-biggest city, according to Russian TV.

He then sold them in neighbouring Russia after deliberately avoiding the border checkpoints between the two countries.

Government spokeswoman Svetlana Zaporozhchenko said: "The ducklings did not have any accompanying documents, so a decision was made to destroy them."

 

Last month Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered officials to destroy food from western countries which have imposed sanctions against Russia.

Days later they bulldozed tons of "contraband" cheese and fruit – and are now said to be targeting Spanish ham and Polish apples.

Ms Zaporozhchenko confirmed the bizarre move, saying: "The destruction has been completed, and after it is destroyed it is buried."

 

Vladimir Putin has ordered officials to destroy food from western countries

Kremlin insiders have defended the counter-sanctions, claiming they will help Russia's agricultural industry.

Politicians have even proposed a bill to make it a criminal offence to import sanctioned food into Russia.

And a vigilante group has begun to search the country's supermarkets for banned products.

But some have criticised the government for destroying food when more than 10 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line .

TV host Vladimir Soloviev tweeted: "I don't understand how a country that lived through horrible famine during the [Second World] War and the post-revolution years can destroy food products."