Condom Sales In Russia Jump By 170 % Amid Fears Of Shortage Due To Sanctions

Moscow: The demand for condoms have significantly increased in Russia amidst the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia with the prices of condom skyrocketing amid fears of condom scarcity.

As per Wildberries, the largest online retailer in Russia, condom sales have drastically increased by 170 percent in the first two weeks of March 2022, as compared to last year.

Russia's pharmacy chain have disclosed that the condom sales amid the ongoing war have surged by 26 percent, while, overall, the country has witnessed a 36.6 percent increase in revenue. The prices of condoms have also soared by 32 percent over the previous year. Supermarkets have also disclosed that their sales have risen by 30 percent.

The sudden rise in demand comes at a time when UK-based company Reckitt, the manufacturer of Durex and other brands, continues their operations in the country despite condemning President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

It is to be noted that the cost of contraceptives, along with other products, has gone up after Western countries imposed crippling sanctions on Russia. Shamonina revealed that the cost of condoms have surged by up to 50 percent depending on the brand.

Companies have been compelled to hike their prices as the value of the Russian ruble has gone down south against key Western currencies.

It is worth mentioning that more than 4 million packs of condoms which is worth a whopping 1.3 billion rubles were sold in Russia in just 9 weeks of this year. As per reports, packages of 12, 18 and 30 pieces are more in demand.

The largest producers - India, China, Thailand and South Korea- have continued to ship products to the Russian Federation. Moscow is heavily dependent on foreign countries for these products, as approximately 600 million condoms are imported into Russia every year, with the country producing only 100 million. The racket employs about 1,300 people in Russia and generates £400 million annually in this market.

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