Lada cars have been a symbol of Russia’s self-reliance since they began rolling off assembly lines during the depths of the Cold War.
On Wednesday, Lada’s factory floors ground to a halt as Western sanctions deprived its parent company of the parts and supplies it needs to make cars, according to people familiar with the matter. Thousands of workers have been placed on leave.
The disruption shows how Russia’s economy is beginning to feel the bite of sanctions the West imposed on Moscow after Russian President
decided to invade Ukraine. Russia’s exclusion from the Swift interbank payments system has made it hard for Russian companies to transact with suppliers. Supply routes, particularly through Ukraine, are shut and the ruble’s devaluation has made paying for parts from outside Russia much more expensive.
Such a…
