Last September, JCB opened its largest dealer depot in the world in Ekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth-largest city. At the time, Alan Blake, JCB’s chief executive, described Russia “as one of the jewels in the crown of JCB’s global sales regions”. He added that almost one in four machines sold in Russia is made by JCB. The company invested £6m in the new depot. JCB sold its first machine in Russia – a backhoe loader – in 1979 as part of the build-up to the Moscow Olympics.