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Russia's Food Watchdog Bans Beer From Ukraine

A couple drinking Obolon, Ukrainian beer.

Russia's food safety watchdog said on Wednesday it is banning imports of certain types of alcohol from Ukraine, in a move that threatened to further escalate tension between the two countries.

"While conducting government supervision over the circulation of foodstuffs, on investigating vodka, beer and beer-related drinks there were identified repeated violations of legal requirements in the area of consumer rights," the agency said in a statement.

Rospotrebnadzor, the watchdog whose role is to protect Russian consumers, said it will ban from Friday imports of Obolon beer, beer-related drinks produced by SUN InBev Ukraine and spirits made by the Ukrainian Distribution Company.

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