7 unexpected disruptions by foreign curbs

Russia is now the world's most sanctioned country. Western sanctions may not have resulted in the dramatic economic collapse that experts had predicted, but they still have far-reaching impacts.

The Moscow Times have listed seven unexpected ways in which Western sanctions have affected lives in Russia over its special military operation in Ukraine.

1 Changes to candy recipes

The head of a confectionery factory in the Ural Mountains city of Perm said in October that the plant, one of the region's largest, had been forced to alter the recipes of some of its products after Western sanctions cut off imports of key ingredients. In addition to changing recipes, factories have to hunt for new work equipment after suppliers in Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom closed their operations in Russia.

2 Slower internet speeds

Mobile internet speeds fell by an average of 0.6 megabits per second compared to the same period last year, according to a study made public by a Russian analytics agency in March. Internet problems will become more serious in Russia as European communications giants leave Russia and network upgrades become more difficult.

3 More crematoriums closing

A major crematorium in the Russian province of Voronezh was forced to close recently following the failure of its only Czech-made plant. It is unlikely that the crematorium will reopen anytime soon, given that the faulty facility cannot be replaced with another one — the European Union has banned the export of such goods to Russia. Similar equipment is used in dozens of cities across Russia.

4 Fewer buses

Local transport operators in 84 Russian cities have canceled more than 200 bus and trolley bus routes this year. Sanctions have disrupted Russian supply chains and had a dramatic impact on Russian car manufacturers.

5 New IDs no more

Russian authorities have given up hope of reforming their ID card system. Since 2013, the Russian government has started a project to change the system of identity documents. The Kremlin even intended to start testing new plastic cards in some regions this year, but Western sanctions have put the project on hold indefinitely. Among the reasons for abandoning this project is the lack of raw materials caused by Western sanctions — Russia cannot produce enough chips and enough plastic to produce these cards.

6 Empty buildings

The number of empty premises and buildings in Russia continues to increase as a large number of retailers leave Russia. Office buildings and malls are increasingly empty because there is no one left to occupy them. The percentage of empty spaces in Moscow malls is estimated to reach 17 percent by the end of the year. Also, 12 percent of all office buildings in Moscow will be empty by the end of the year.

7 Less trained pilots

Russian pilots have fewer and fewer options to train and complete their training, with Turkish Airlines blocking Russian pilots' access to its training and simulators. The ban was imposed following Turkish Airlines' fears that it would also be subject to sanctions by the EU's Aviation Safety Agency. The Turks' decision is dramatic for Russian pilots, given that special training devices are not available either in Russia or in other states close to it.