AKIPRESS.COM - The Russian government steamrolled tons of contraband cheese and destroyed fruit with tractors Thursday in a public display of its commitment to its one-year-old ban on Western foods, Twin Cities reports.

The move, however, has raised protests in Russia, with people signing a petition urging the government to instead donate the food to the poor suffering through the country's recession.

Coupled with the ruble's sharp depreciation, the ban on Western food drived consumer prices up, pushing an increasing number of Russians below the poverty line.

The Kremlin hopes to stem the flow of banned products by raising the costs for those involved in contraband. Government's order to destroy the food underlines the determination to enforce the ban amid continuing tensions with Europe and the U.S. over the Ukrainian crisis.

The national agricultural oversight agency, Rosselkhznadzor, said a total of 290 tons of banned imported fruit and vegetables were destroyed around the country on Thursday, along with 29.3 metric tons of animal products.

Russia slapped a ban on many Western agricultural products, including meat, milk products, vegetables and fruit on August 6, 2014, in retaliation for the U.S. and EU sanctions over annexation of Crimea and support for pro-Russian insurgents in Ukraine. Last month, the Kremlin extended the ban for a year following the EU's decision to prolong its sanctions through January.