Shoppers in Russia have been seen panic buying at supermarkets across Moscow as international sanctions due to the invasion of Ukraine start to hit vital supplies.
People were caught on camera fighting over sugar as a new delivery was wheeled into a Perekryostok store in the north of the capital.
Anna, a local resident who filmed the noisy scuffle, told Podyom media that people behaved aggressively because they have been scared by the empty shelves.
They fear a potentially grave economic crisis triggered by the punishing sanctions which have seen the rouble currency plunge in value.
Anna said: “There were empty shelves - no salt, no sugar, no pasta, no buckwheat, and only expensive rice.
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“People suddenly saw a cart with sugar and ran towards it.
“They attacked this cart, pushing each other away aggressively.
“They were grabbing as much as possible for themselves, not leaving sugar for the others.
“I wanted to share the horror of it. We must stay human.”
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Another disturbing race for sugar was seen in Oryol, 230 miles south of the capital, as people scrambled to get their hands on bags before they were sold out.
Russians have been urged not to panic-buy or hoard but there is a lack of trust in official assurances that supplies will hold up despite the Western sanctions over Vladimir Putin ’s war in Ukraine.
Russian prosecutors have begun checks in 26 regions over the suspicion of artificially high prices and some stores are beginning to ration the amounts people can buy.
In Kiselevsk, Siberia a local said: “There has been no sugar for three days, I’ve been trying to shop for it all this time. Do we ask for too much?
“No sugar, no salt, but empty shelves. What is this? An artificially created deficit? Wild people panic buying?”
In Primorsky region, demand for sugar rose by 400 per cent as the authorities pleaded for an end to panic-buying.
“500 tonnes of sugar is expected to be delivered to the region shortly,” said the local trade ministry.
“This amount should cover any possible shortfall.”
Despite this Russia has blocked exports of grain to ex-Soviet states and halted exports of both "white and raw cane sugar to third countries".
Deputy prime minister Viktoria Abramchenko said: "There are no conditions for risks of a shortage or for a reduction in product range.
"It is not worth driving up artificial demand with purchases for the future.
"We will reorient the market and establish mutually profitable trade, expand our partnership network with friendly countries.”
