‘Salt’s not salty, sugar's not sweet.’

The Russian occupation of Ukraine's eastern regions started back in 2014. During this time, the Russians have tried to oust everything Ukrainian from all spheres of life, and the food sector is no exception. Now, instead of Ukrainian goods, Russian products or those imported from countries 'friendly' to Russia lie on market stalls and supermarket shelves. People complain about poor quality and miss their favourite products from Ukrainian manufacturers, but they have little choice.

Read on to find out how life changed in the temporarily occupied territories (TOT) through the eyes of those who grew up there.

'Russians counterfeited everything': a story from Luhansk

For many people under occupation, Ukrainian products became a symbol of a peaceful life - a time when there was no war or restrictions, and supermarket shelves were overflowing.

'Labels and shop signs changed, and Russian chains took the place of major Ukrainian retail networks. In the blink of an eye, everything around became foreign. It was as if you fell asleep at home and woke up in another country. On the one hand, it may seem insignificant. What difference does it make which sunflower oil you use or which chocolate you eat? But in reality, all of this shapes your perception of the surrounding world.

If you go to Italy, you buy food in shops with signs in Italian, and goods have labels in Italian. If you go to Germany or, say, Denmark - it's the same. There is a saying: "You are what you eat". When we ended up living under occupation, this saying took on a new meaning,' shares Eva (not her real name, changed for security reasons), who lives in occupied Luhansk.

According to her, low-quality fake products appear in the stores from time to time. Russian manufacturers counterfeit labels and steal the names of Ukrainian trademarks to boost sales and give people the impression that they haven't lost anything.

'They would counterfeit everything: condensed milk, soft drinks, mineral water, confectionery, and even salt. But the quality is not what it used to be before occupation, nor is the taste. It causes nothing but disgust,' Eva sums up.

She adds that whenever she managed to travel to the Ukrainian government-controlled territory, she immediately ran to buy 'Zhyvchyk' - a popular Ukrainian fizzy drink.

'This is the taste of my childhood, of carefree days, which fills me with memories and reassures me that everything is fine,' she says.

Part of Luhansk Oblast fell under occupation in 2014. During these eight years (2014-2022), people from the captured districts crossed the checkpoint in Stanytsia Luhanska, to buy Ukrainian goods. With the start of the full-scale invasion, the enemy occupied almost the entire region. Local residents fled the war en masse, leaving businesses behind, while major retail chains announced the closure of their stores. In cities where heavy fighting took place, looting rampaged.

When the situation stabilised, the Russians and their local sympathisers began seizing enterprises, commercial premises, and everything they could get their hands on, informing the real owners that they were the new 'masters' now.

Demand dictates supply. In cities that lost not only their infrastructure but also a significant portion of their population, expensive restaurants and large supermarkets became redundant.

In Rubizhne, where six supermarkets and dozens of cafes and restaurants operated before the invasion, there is now only one store functioning with a much smaller selection of goods, along with a few eateries catering mainly to Russian military personnel. Unlike the local residents, they have the money for it. Some grocery shops and pharmacies have turned into military supply stores altogether.

The taste that vanished: a story from Horlivka

Ivan Frolov, a photographer from Horlivka, remembers how everything was changing. At the turn of 2014-2015, Ukrainian goods almost completely disappeared from the shelves - first, old stocks were sold off, then new deliveries ceased. Instead, Russian products appeared. At some factories that ended up in captured territory, the same equipment and even some recipes remained, but the taste was not the same.

'However, local producers and local farmers were still the same people; Russia didn't replace them,' he recalls.

What people missed most were sweets, snacks, juices, and dairy products made exclusively in Ukraine. When imported Russian goods appeared on the shelves, the difference was immediately felt.

Back then, Ivan did not think about prices because he was a child. But he remembers his family living modestly. They had enough money for basic goods; sometimes they could treat themselves to something tasty - usually from the market or a local shop.

Variety was also lacking. The boy was amazed every time at how much larger and more interesting the selection in 'ATB' or 'Silpo' supermarkets was in unoccupied Ukraine. In his hometown of Horlivka, that feeling was gone.

'There was still a shortage; I wanted something new, tasty, and varied,' he adds.

Maksym Frolov, Ivan's brother, was older at the time of the occupation - he turned 16 then, so he remembered the details better.

At the beginning of 2014, Ukrainian goods were still available, but there were fewer and fewer of them. Later, when the fighting calmed down for a while, Russian products began to appear on the shelves. Maksym first saw them in spring. Around April or May, he also saw Russian roubles for the first time.

'It was depressing to see everything Ukrainian gradually disappearing,' the young man recalls.

The fighting stopped, but along with it, the sense of life vanished - the city ground to a halt.

What Maksym missed the most were Ukrainian sweets, good crisps and juices. He had time to try them a little before the occupation.

But it was not just about the products. Familiar stores such as 'ATB', 'Amstor', and 'Furshet' disappeared. They either closed or were working unofficially. 'I missed the sheer scale and the quality of life that we were used to,' the displaced young man explains.

When Maksym first left the TOT - first to Bakhmut, Toretsk, then to Kyiv - he would simply walk through shops and slowly browse the selection of goods.

He also remembered one conversation. Somewhere near Debaltseve, he heard elderly men queueing and discussing the goods they had to bring in. One of them said: 'Salt's not salty, sugar's not sweet.' Maksym remembered this sentence forever. 'It sums up the whole standard of Russian quality,' he says.

Maksym talks about money openly. He heard stories from acquaintances who worked under occupation. One guy at a bakery worked 12-hour shifts starting at 5 am, earning around 7,000 roubles per month - about 2,500 UAH (100 EUR) at the time. Others working in public utilities earned even less, around 3,000 roubles (45 EUR). 'This is how it is: "Eating pasta cooked in tap water",' he heard from a friend and remembered.

Prices under occupation were around the same as in Ukraine, but people just didn't have money. Maksym recalls how cash was brought from Ukraine and hryvnias were exchanged for roubles, but it was barely enough to get by.

However, some products remained. For example, 'Sarmat' beer. The brewery in Donetsk kept operating, only the name changed. From Luhansk, people would sometimes bring 'Makdak'- corn puffs that he loved as a boy.

Russian propaganda creates the illusion that everything in the occupied territories is 'just like before'. But anyone who lived there knows: the taste of life that vanished cannot be brought back.