Auchan Aiding Russia’s War Effort for Free! A year after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Le Monde, in partnership with Bellingcat and The Insider Russia, has documented Auchan’s complicity in supporting the Russian army—the same army that abducts children and commits war crimes.
As a reminder, since the September mobilization law, companies remaining in Russia are required to assist with the mobilization effort, even to the point of organizing the conscription of their own employees!
This is precisely what Stand With Ukraine denounced at the time alongside the B4Ukraine coalition. We reiterate: all international companies still operating in Russia must leave the country immediately.
The investigation reveals that among the supplies sent by Russian civilians to soldiers fighting in Ukraine are numerous products from the Mulliez Group (Auchan and Leroy Merlin): canned goods, men’s socks, cigarettes, axes, and gas cartridges.
In Samara, for instance, collections are organized in a space located just outside Auchan’s checkouts. Auchan claims it has nothing to do with these activities: “When collections take place, none are organized with our agreement or on store premises.” However, this is demonstrably false.
In Vladimir, Auchan is explicitly thanked by nationalist associations for its assistance in organizing collections. Even more damning, on March 15, 2022, five Auchan stores in St. Petersburg independently organized the delivery of €27,000 worth of goods to the front lines!
Emails show that Auchan managers were aware of these activities. Their defense: “Auchan cannot control how purchased products are used.” Yet, according to a former employee interviewed, managers clearly knew the destination of the goods.
Is Auchan supporting Russia’s war effort to protect its profits in Russia? For 20 years, the Mulliez Group has bet heavily on the Russian market. The group continues to prioritize its profits even as its complicity becomes increasingly undeniable.
Auchan claims it has ceased all investment in Russia, but this too is a lie, according to the investigation. While other companies, like Danone, have withdrawn from Russia, the Mulliez Group stubbornly clings to its operations, actively collaborating with Putin’s war machine.
