DON’T MISS
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingIamExpat Webinars
Newsletters
EXPAT INFO
CAREER
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIFESTYLE
EXPAT SERVICES
NEWS & ARTICLES
Home
Expat Info
Swiss news & articles
Russian propaganda claims Switzerland is headed for famine this winter
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy

Russian propaganda claims Switzerland is headed for famine this winter

Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy
or
follow us for regular updates:



Related Stories

Mallard duck caught speeding in SwitzerlandMallard duck caught speeding in Switzerland
Man caught with crocodile head in luggage at Zurich AirportMan caught with crocodile head in luggage at Zurich Airport
Zurich compost inspections named Switzerland's silliest law for 2024Zurich compost inspections named Switzerland's silliest law for 2024
Zurich police investigated after leaving woman marooned on islandZurich police investigated after leaving woman marooned on island
[Video] Wil Carnival-goers attempt to fill Swiss police car with confetti[Video] Wil Carnival-goers attempt to fill Swiss police car with confetti
Expat in Zurich fined for putting a small cardboard box in a tram stop binExpat in Zurich fined for putting a small cardboard box in a tram stop bin
Swiss police department reveal their strangest crimes of 2023Swiss police department reveal their strangest crimes of 2023
Swiss fire brigade scrambled 10 separate times because of pigeons Swiss fire brigade scrambled 10 separate times because of pigeons
For expats of all colours, shapes and sizes

Explore
Expat infoCareerHousingEducationLifestyleExpat servicesNews & articles
About us
IamExpat MediaAdvertisePost a jobContact usSitemap
More IamExpat
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingWebinarsNewsletters
Privacy
Terms of usePrivacy policyCookiesAvoiding scams

Never miss a thing!Sign up for expat events, news & offers, delivered once a week.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy


© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
Nov 9, 2022
Jan de Boer

Editor at IamExpat Media

Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016. While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more

A Russian journalist living in Lausanne has claimed that Switzerland faces a “horror winter” of water, energy and even food shortages. The woman used official but misleading documents by the Swiss government to make her case, but claims she was taken out of context.

Switzerland threatened by winter of hunger according to Russian media

According to the Tages-Anzeiger, Russian journalist Viktoria Petrova claimed that the country is threatened by a “winter of hunger.” In a short video published on the online news website Life.ru, she described a scenario where electricity shortages are common every day, running water is scarce, Swiss public transport is at a standstill and food shortages are commonplace.

She continued by saying that the government had demanded people reduce the heating in their houses to 19 degrees Celsius, which according to the Tages-Anzeiger is considered bitterly cold for houses in Russia. The paper explained that this claim is likely alluding to the voluntary measures announced by the government in late August.

Official Swiss government guide used in misleading video

As proof of the dire situation, Petrova presented an official brochure called “Kluger Rat – Notvorrat” from the Federal Office for Economic Supply (BWL) - the branch of the government which handles Switzerland’s emergency stockpiles. "The Swiss government sends us such brochures," Petrova claimed, explaining that it details what products and essential supplies have to be bought to prepare for the alpine nation's winter of discontent.

The video has quickly been labelled as misleading and propaganda by the Swiss media, as while Switzerland is taking steps to reduce energy consumption, shortages of the kind claimed in the video are highly unlikely. The government also said recently that this winter, energy shortages will not be a problem in Switzerland in most scenarios.

People in Switzerland wanting to stockpile for the worst can find the guide online

As for the proof, a spokesperson from the BWL said that while the document is real, it is several years old and has never been distributed to the public. Thomas Grünwald told the Tages-Anzeiger that anyone in Switzerland who wants to prepare a stockpile for a crisis is free to download the guide online. He also announced that the office is debating whether to stop publishing such documents, as they do not want to stoke fear and misinformation among the public.

The video joins a long line of propaganda efforts used by Russia to stoke misinformation in Europe and abroad. Most recently, for example, the Russian state news agency reported in October that the Tiergarten in Berlin was being cut down because the residents of the German capital needed firewood.

Russian journalist says her comments were taken out of context

Speaking to Blick, Petrova denied spreading misinformation or Russian propaganda. She explained that a colleague in Russia had heard of the pamphlet and told her that she “should explain what it says, and that’s exactly what I did.” She argued that her thoughts were taken out of context by the Russian media and that Switzerland was not facing a harsh winter.

Petrova told the newspaper that she is half-Ukrainian and typically reports on cultural stories, not politics. She said that while she is careful with criticising the Russian regime - as her family still lives in Moscow - she said the accusation of spreading Russian propaganda makes her sad. She concluded that she hopes the war in Ukraine will end soon and that she enjoys living in Switzerland.

By Jan de Boer