Authorities in the northwestern Vologda region on Monday temporarily banned the sale of alcohol at dozens of stores operated by the liquor chain Krasnoe & Beloe, citing alleged safety violations.
Vologda region Governor Georgy Filimonov said the restrictions apply to 58 store locations across the region, primarily in the cities of Vologda and Cherepovets.
“As of July 25, the company’s license to sell alcohol has been suspended due to violations it committed,” Filimonov wrote on Telegram. “The stores remain open but are not allowed to sell alcoholic beverages.”
He did not specify the nature of the alleged violations.
Alcohol sales in the region have been restricted since March, with stores only permitted to sell alcohol on weekdays between noon and 2 p.m.
Filimonov has defended the policy as part of a broader campaign to combat what he calls “the decay of Russia’s North,” accusing liquor retailers of engaging in “alcohol terrorism.”
Filimonov, a political outsider appointed by President Vladimir Putin in 2023, has drawn controversy over a series of hardline proposals, including a call to ban abortions. More than 120 members of the ruling United Russia party, of which he is a member, called for his dismissal earlier this year.
He has also clashed with billionaire Alexei Mordashov, whose company Severstal has major interests in the region, over what Filimonov described as failures to meet investment targets in the local wood processing industry.
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