russia Losing the War Against Hogweed: While the kremlin Is Flaunting Its Missiles, the Toxic Weed Is Taking Over Thousands of Hectares

russia continues to declare its ambitions and invest massive sums in the production of new types of weapons. However, within the country, the authorities have for years been unable to cope with a much more mundane but very real threat – the massive spread of Sosnovsky’s hogweed.

This plant, which was actively introduced into soviet union’s agriculture in the mid-20th century as a promising forage crop, has today turned into a true ecological disaster. Hogweed poses a danger to humans due to its phototoxic sap, which causes severe burns, and it also displaces local vegetation and rapidly takes over new territories.

In russia, the area affected by hogweed increases by 10–15% annually, and in some regions by as much as 20%. Currently, over 93,000 hectares of agricultural land in the rf are considered infested. Central russia, the volga region, the urals, and the northwestern regions are most affected by this invasive plant.

The problem has become so acute that, as of March 1, amendments to land legislation came into effect in russia, requiring landowners to fight hogweed on their own. Significant fines are imposed for failure to comply with these requirements.

In fact, the government – which once planted hogweed on a massive scale and funded its spread – has now shifted the responsibility for dealing with the consequences onto summer residents, farmers, and landowners.

It is telling that a country that aspires to be a global power and regularly showcases new military hardware have not been able to cope with a weed on its own territory for years.