Greek farmers have been blocking the port of Lesbos for a second day due to quarantine restrictions

Hundreds of farmers have blocked the main port on the island of Lesbos, demanding that the Greek government provide immediate compensation for livestock culled due to foot-and-mouth disease. The protesters blocked trucks from disembarking from ferries, leading to the cancellation of ferry services to Turkey and disrupting logistics in the Aegean Sea. 

This was reported by Ekathimerini.

The protest was triggered by an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, which led authorities to impose a strict ban on the export of dairy products and meat from the island. Farmers consider the government’s response insufficient and are demanding compensation for the loss of their herds.

While passengers are currently allowed to disembark, cargo traffic remains completely paralyzed. The situation on Lesbos is escalating against the backdrop of pan-European economic challenges and the official recession in Russia, which began in April 2026.

The Greek government has not yet provided an official timeline for compensation payments, forcing farmers to continue the blockade. Local authorities fear losses for the tourism sector due to the cancellation of flights for foreign visitors. Protesters declare their readiness to maintain the port blockade until their financial demands are met.

As a reminder, in villages in the Novosibirsk region of the Russian Federation, local residents are convinced that the mass culling of their livestock due to foot-and-mouth disease is a planned sabotage operation. 

Russian authorities have destroyed nearly $20 million worth of livestock belonging to Siberian farmers.