Incredible shopping. From washing machines to freezers to breast pumps, Russians buy many appliances in Europe to save certain parts for use in the war in Ukraine. Washing machine components have already been found in Russian tanks in Ukraine.
More and more European companies requested
European home appliance companies are increasingly sought after by Russian buyers. This is particularly the case for Jordan Martin, an associate manager at Luxsmart Appliances, a Luxembourg-based home appliance company.
“A Russian company contacted us” to buy household appliances, he told BFMTV. The company claims to have “a resale store for individuals.”
“It was plausible in itself. We had two email exchanges and there was no follow up,” he says. The manager assures that this request is unusual in his company: “we mainly have clients in the European Union.”
Refrigerators and washing machines are requested
To find out the purpose of this request, one of our journalists contacted the Russian buyer posing as a French home appliance company. Russian society is showing interest.
“First, I’ll buy you 20 refrigerators and 20 washing machines,” he offers.
However, the company prefers to be discreet and suggests that the invoice be issued by a Polish company, rather than a Russian one. “Then we will take care of the transport to Russia”, specifies the buyer, who finally did not follow up.
The Russians in search of a component
For the Russians, it is obviously not the washing machines themselves that interest them, but their components. And more precisely, semiconductors.
These high-tech pieces, neither completely insulating nor completely conductive, are found in almost all technological objects that we use in our daily lives (cars, smartphones, household appliances, etc.).
For the Moscow forces, they serve in the context of the war in Ukraine. In fact, they reuse the recovered parts to equip their weapons, their drones and their battle tanks.
“For example, in a washing machine (…), in the back, you have all the electronic components, including precious metals. They are things that can be used in weapons”, estimates Jordan Martin.
highly sought after breast pumps
Among the products currently highly sought after by Russians are electric breast pumps, which are also made of semiconductors. In particular, a Russian-based company approached one of the largest producers of breast pumps in Europe. An email that BFMTV was able to obtain.
“I would like to know your best prices for your electric breast pumps,” asks the Russian company, expressing its interest in a distributor in Latvia, a country that borders Russia. The seller did not respond.
The use of front companies
To maintain discretion, some Russian buyers turn to front companies based in Armenia or Kazakhstan, Moscow’s economic partners.
Thus, 30,000 European breast pumps were exported to Armenia last August, compared to only 5,000 in January. There is no confirmation about the cause of this spectacular increase, but in any case it is not linked to an increase in the birth rate, since the number is reduced in the country during the first six months of the year compared to 2021.
The European Union has denounced, to BFMTV, an evasion of European sanctions by Russia. In fact, the trade in semiconductors with Russia is prohibited in the context of the conflict in Ukraine, which is not the case with household appliances.
The EU calls on appliance companies to be very careful and report Russian buyers. The Union instructs BFMTV not to refrain from extending sanctions to home appliances.
Source: BFM TV
