Cyberattack cripples Russia’s dairy certification system

RUSSIA – Russia’s dairy industry has been thrown into disarray following a cyberattack on its national veterinary certification platform, Mercury.

According to local media reports, the Mercury platform, part of Russia’s Federal State Information System for Veterinary Surveillance (VetIS), was taken offline due to the attack, the third such incident this year and the most severe to date.

This critical system, integral to the processing of veterinary accompanying documents, ensures the traceability and safety compliance of animal-derived products, including dairy.

Under Russian law, all businesses handling meat, dairy, eggs and other animal products must register with Mercury and issue veterinary documents electronically.

Without them, processors are legally barred from accepting raw milk, as digital certification is required to verify product authenticity and safety.

The outage forced producers and suppliers to revert to paper-based veterinary certificates. This shift caused logistical chaos: Several regional distribution centers refused to accept goods, as major retailers such as Lenta, Yandex Lavka, and Miratorg experienced supply chain interruptions.

The outage has also disrupted data exchange with other government digital platforms, including Russia’s mandatory product labeling system. Large-volume producers have been hit particularly hard, with industry representatives saying the emergency procedures in place are not designed for prolonged disruptions.

During this interim period, the Ministry of Agriculture has directed stakeholders to adhere strictly to the Veterinary Rules outlined in Order No. 862, dated December 13, 2022.

This regulation provides a framework for organizing and executing veterinary documentation under exceptional circumstances, ensuring that manual or alternative processes can be employed to prevent a complete standstill.

Compliance with these guidelines is crucial for veterinarians, dairy producers, and logistics operators to maintain continuity, albeit at a reduced efficiency compared to the automated Mercury system.

Russia’s dairy sector sees 3% growth in raw milk production

Last year, Russia has experienced notable growth in its dairy sector, with raw milk production increasing by 3% to reach 13.2 million tonnes in the first half of 2024, according to Soyuzmoloko, a leading dairy industry association. 

According to the report, the positive trend showed an upward trajectory across various segments of the Russian dairy market, which had previously displayed mixed results.

Cream production surged by 23% to 146,500 tonnes, while cottage cheese output rose by 9% to 334,500 tonnes. 

Additionally, yogurt production climbed by 13% to 330,600 tonnes, and the ice cream sector expanded by 14%, reaching 260,300 tonnes. 

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