Rising concerns over a viral incident and broader trends in retail theft
A video circulating on social media shows employees of a Krasnoe & Beloe store reportedly forcing an elderly man to wash or scrub himself with green paint. The footage, claimed by a Telegraph channel named The Barnaul Incident, suggests that staff suspected the man of theft and organized a show of force as a form of vigilante punishment. In the report, the exact location and timing of the recording remain unclear, and the authorship of the clip could not be verified. The post adds that more than one person ignored the man’s pleas for help during the incident.
The story comes amid broader discussions about food retail security and theft at scale. A June article from Kommersant noted that shoppers and retailers in the United States, Europe, and parts of the Commonwealth face ongoing losses from theft. In the United States, the National Retail Federation reported that shoplifting contributed to a multibillion dollar hit to the sector last year, with similar pressures reported in Australia, the European Union, and Russia. The piece framed these losses as a mix of individual shoplifting for personal use and organized theft rings targeting shelves and stock.
Gauguin Solntsev, a former actor and entertainer, described a separate incident in which a store security guard allegedly accused him of stealing. The report highlights how security practices, public perception, and social media amplification interact in retail environments today. Observers point to heightened tensions in crowded stores and the role of digital platforms in spreading both information and mis information about alleged theft and punishment. The case underscores the importance of verified reporting and careful handling of allegations before they become public narratives. [citation attribution: The Barnaul Incident Telegram channel; Kommersant reporting; NRF data]