A joint investigation between Le Monde, Bellingcat, and the Russian media outlet Insider reveals that the Russian branch of French retailer Auchan has been supplying Russian forces with supplies under the guise of humanitarian aid.
Under international law, humanitarian aid can only be supplied to civilians. However, the supplies coordinated by Auchan in Russia included men's socks, cigarettes, lighters, and razors.
The goods were collected from Auchan warehouses and volunteers throughout Russia. The report also states that Auchan executives in Russia coordinated with military enlistment officers to recruit employees from their store chains.
The evidence in the report was collected from an assortment of eyewitness accounts, social media posts, and official documents.
According to the report, Auchan has 230 stores in Russia. Aiding the Russian military puts the company at risk of sanctions and a departure from the Russian market, which would cost them around 3.2 billion euros in yearly losses.
In March 2022, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on people to boycott Auchan and all companies which continued to do business in Russia following the full-scale invasion.
