Russia’s gas conglomerate, Gazprom, is considering launching the production of fridges and washing machines to offset the historic losses caused by Western sanctions.
The company registered a net loss of more than 1 trillion rubles ($12.89 billion) in 2024, and the collapse of its exports to Europe, down over 90%, has forced it to slash jobs and sell off assets.
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Gazprom is likely to launch production of the appliances via its subsidiary, joint-stock company (JSC) Gazprom Bytovye Sistemy, using facilities from a Russian subsidiary of German appliance giant Bosch, according to Russian media Kommersant.
Russian subsidiaries of Germany’s Bosch and Italy’s Ariston were transferred to Gazprom Bytovye Sistemy by a decree in April 2024. However, Russian leader Vladimir Putin lifted the seizure of Ariston’s assets in March 2025.
Reopening production lines is expected to cost between $20 million and $50 million, local industry representative Gusein Imanov told Kommersant. Another unnamed source said the production launch is planned for the summer of 2025.
Vladislav Borodin, director of the OCS consumer electronics department, told Kommersant that Gazprom has experience making gas stoves and produced a test batch of washing machines in 2024 due to their high demand in Russia.
Russian soldiers often looted washing machines from civilian homes in Ukraine at the onset of Moscow’s 2022 invasion, presumably due to a washing machine shortage.
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Imanov also suggested to Kommersant that the new production would likely have to rely on the quality reputation of Bosch to succeed.
“If Gazprom starts producing equipment under its own brand, it will lose the competition to South Korean LG, Samsung, Chinese Haier, Hisense, etc.,” Imanov said. “Equipment under the Bosch brand is still supplied through parallel imports and has its buyer; the market has already been formed.”
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