“Aushan” supplied goods to the Russian military under the guise of “human aid” – investigation
From the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Russian “daughter” of the French “Auchan” supplied goods to the Russian military in the occupied Ukrainian territories under the guise of humanitarian aid to civilians, and also helped the military commissars to recruit conscripts.
This is stated in the common investigation The Insider, Le Monde and Bellingcat.
The supplies consisted of both goods from “Ashan” warehouses and goods collected by volunteers on the territory of “Ashan” stores in various regions of the aggressor country.
The investigation mentions a letter that was sent to employees of stores in St. Petersburg: “Colleagues, please collect the cession for humanitarian aid (according to the list in the attachment) and send it to the North store tonight, let me know when the pallets will be collected.”
The goods in the said attachment do not look like “humanitarian aid”: socks for men in size 40 shoes, there are cigarettes (which are never supplied as humanitarian aid), lighters, razors, but nothing for women and children. The number of goods (1000 tubes of toothpaste, 500 lighters) indicates that there were many recipients, this would be enough for one or two battalions.
Further, this “human aid” is formalized as a purchase by ten legal entities. These companies are related to each other: they all serve St. Petersburg’s “Passajiravtotrans”, which, in turn, belongs to the city’s Transport Committee. Some of these legal entities, at the request of journalists, did not hide the fact that the goods were sent to the Russian military.
In addition, Auchan used not only its St. Petersburg stores in supplies for the occupation troops. This is evidenced by the fact that the deliveries were coordinated with the Moscow office, and that in other regions, the collection of aid was also observed in the territory of shopping centers belonging to “Ashan”. So, for example, in Samara, Rybinsk, and Volodymyr, collection points for “humanitarian aid for Donbas” were located on the territories of “Ashan” stores.
Apparently, not only Auchan, but also Leroy Merlin, which belongs to the same holding, was engaged in the supply of goods to Ukrainian territories occupied by Russian troops. For example, in a video published in December from Mariupol, you can see how members of the “Young Guard of United Russia” unload identical pallets with the “Leroy Merlin” brand.
Aushan also helped the Russian authorities fight draft evaders: the company collected and submitted data about its employees to the military commissariats, and after the mobilization was announced, it helped the military commissariats comply with the norm: at the workplace, employees were served with summonses and offered to resign.
Read also: Shershe la “Auchan”. Instead of exiting, the French company is expanding its business in Russia
Business on the blood of Ukrainians: which international companies finance the Russian army
We remind you:
Aushan supermarket chain is one of the ten largest foreign companies in Russia. In Russia, the French chain “Auchan” manages 241 stores, where about 30 thousand people work. The market of the aggressor country generates 11% of revenues for the parent Auchan Holding.
Previously, the general director of Auchan was Yves Claude statedthat the network will continue its work in Russia, as it “acts in the interests of the civilian population.”
