ArmInfo. The share of Armenian cognacs with violations found on the Russian market decreased from 90% in August 2024 to 80% in May 2025, as stated in a message from the International Anti-Counterfeiting Association.
According to the source, the data was obtained as a result of large-scale inspections carried out by the Anti- Counterfeiting Association in collaboration with the Union of Cognac, Alcohol and Alcoholic Beverage Producers ("Soyuzkonyak"). A total of 200 samples of alcoholic beverages were examined as part of the study, which were purchased from all major retail chains and sent for analysis to an independent laboratory of the All-Russian Research Institute of the Brewing, Soft Drinks and Wine Industry. As in the past, one of the most common violations found in almost half of the samples - was the presence of non-grape spirits, meaning that such products cannot be labeled as cognac. The Anti-Counterfeit Association notes that the main reason for the improvement was the stricter stance taken by the Russian authorities and the ongoing fight against counterfeiting and fakes.
However, the organization's representatives see the greatest potential in strengthening control over the turnover of goods across the border with Georgia. This border is almost the only artery in the region where goods pass by land to Russia from neighboring countries, including Armenia. Note that the majority of counterfeit and fake goods passes through Georgia in transit. According to Anti-Counterfeit estimates, up to 60% of all counterfeit, low-quality goods from these countries pass through this former Soviet republic. This includes not only alcohol, but also clothing, footwear, dietary supplements, plant protection products and other consumer goods. In the first quarter of 2025, totaling to 3 million 249 thousand liters. Production levels remain significantly lower than they were several years ago.
