Russian authorities are culling livestock over a mysterious disease. Farmers are protesting, saying their animals don’t look sick.

For nearly two weeks, farmers in rural parts of Russia’s Novosibirsk region have been protesting the mass confiscation and destruction of their livestock by local authorities, who have cited an “especially dangerous disease” — though have refused to name it. Villagers are furious not only at officials’ silence, but at the low compensation being offered for their herds, which are often their sole source of income. The story has gone viral on social media, landing on top of a pile of grievances...