Boycott of Russia and Belarus

Since early 2022, Russia and Belarus have been boycotted by many companies and organizations in Europe, North America, Australasia, and elsewhere, in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is supported by Belarus. As of 2 July 2022, the Yale School of Management recorded more than 1,000 companies withdrawing or divesting themselves from Russia, either as a result of sanctions or in protest of Russian actions.[1] Ukrainian National Agency on Corruption Prevention maintains a list called International Sponsors of War that includes companies and individuals still doing business with Russia.[2]

Retailers around the world removed Russian-made products from their inventories due to the invasion, either voluntarily or as a result of sanctions.

Overview

The majority of countries which sanctioned Russia following its 2014 annexation of Crimea began imposing additional sanctions to punish Russia for invading all of Ukraine — a move for which Russian President Vladimir Putin had long prepared.[3] Many companies were not impacted by sanctions against Russia but ruled in favor of cutting ties with the country either due to the public pressure or in protest of the Russian government's actions, or both.[4][5] Ukrainian institutions have stated that the need for these measures is urgent.[6]

The response can be broadly divided into a "cultural boycott", aimed at amplifying the international condemnation of the invasion, and an "economic boycott", which is designed to make the war effort less sustainable.[7][8] As a result of the latter, several commentators have warned of an unprecedented economic collapse in Russia's future, citing a 30% drop in the ruble's value, a 20% rise in interest rates and a 1% GDP expansion down from 1.7%.[9] Analyses by multiple firms project year end GDP contraction of at least 5% and inflation of 15%.[10] Some of the most critical blows to Russian infrastructure have been the loss of access to the SWIFT payment system and limitations on Russia's ability to export oil.[11] US Senator Bernie Sanders has stated that this crisis should influence energy policy more broadly in order to deter "authoritarian petrostates".[12] While Shell plc has been noted for relinquishing its stake in Gazprom, it was also criticised for buying a cargo of discounted Russian crude oil.[13] The next day, following public outcry, Shell defended the purchase as a short term necessity, but also announced that it intends to reduce such purchases and put the profits from them into a fund that will go towards humanitarian aid to Ukraine.[14] As of 10 March, half of the ten largest international companies with business ties to Russia announced that they are withdrawing or closing their operations; and the number of companies that have done so is over 300.[15]

Some of the largest snack and fast food companies have faced criticism for continuing to do business in Russia and Belarus.[16][17][18][19][20] Anthony Pompliano has defended cryptocurrency trading platforms for not participating in the boycott, stating "there is an incredible amount of inhumanity that goes into the decision to cut off the average citizen from the global financial system. What was their crime?"[21] Critics of the Israeli government have pointed out that several American politicians who support isolating Russia economically previously campaigned for and passed anti-BDS laws punishing boycotts of Israel.[22][23][24]

The cultural side of the boycott has focused on reducing the number of entertainment products available to people in Russia. These include films and albums but also live televised events that are hosted in Western countries.[25] Yasmeen Serhan has commented that nationalistic sentiment, which has historically benefited Putin's regime, will be undermined by Russia's exclusion from sporting events.[8] The banning of Russia and Belarus from the Olympics has drawn comparisons to the athletic boycott of apartheid South Africa. According to Olympic historians David Wallechinsky and Bill Mallon, the decision can be considered a turning point when compared to past leniency over the state-sponsored doping programme in Russia or the attempted abduction of Krystsina Tsimanouskaya by Belarus.[26][27]

In addition to cancelling planned appearances in Russia, several entertainment organisations with Russian members began to scrutinise their past support for Putin. Some of these celebrities refused to condemn the war but others lost their contracts because they did so without mentioning Putin by name. A statement by Alex Ovechkin, for example, called for peace in general and mentioned that his family members in Russia were also in danger.[28] However, Czech former Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators goaltender Dominik Hašek responded to Ovechkin and criticized him for his past support of Putin, stating "What!? Not only an alibist, a chicken shit, but also a liar!", while also calling on the NHL to suspend all Russian players.[29] One musician who referred to his family's safety when condemning the war was Alexander Malofeev. The Vancouver Recital Society, which had begun requiring this of all Russian performers, responded that Malofeev's statement was not sufficient to allow his concert to go ahead.[30]

Despite ongoing sanctions, 47 of the world's biggest 200 companies still have not left Russia, particularly energy companies remain invested there. U.K. energy giant Shell and Japanese trading firms Mitsui and Mitsubishi hold double-digit stakes in the Sakhalin-2 oil and natural gas project. On July 1, 2022, Putin signed a decree to allow the government to seize the Sakhalin-2 oil and natural gas project but further attempts to formally nationalize the assets of international firms were paused when the bill did not make it through the State Duma before the 2022 summer recess. According to Western analysts, remaining companies have experienced expropriation and nationalization pressures, but officially Russia has denied that it is interested in such actions. In August 2022, Russia's trade and industry minister Denis Manturov stated, "we are not interested in the nationalization of enterprises or their removal.”[31][32]

Boycotting companies and organisations

Banking and finance

Company or organisationIndustryCountryActionsDateRef.
AbrdnFinancial services  United KingdomAbrdn announced it will reduce its holdings in Russia and Belarus.1 March 2022[33]
Alaska Permanent FundSovereign wealth fund  United StatesAfter pressure from Alaskan legislators, the Alaska Permanent Fund announced it will not purchase any new Russian securities and will look to divest its Russian portfolio, consisting of US$63m in fixed income, US$153m in public equities and US$2.7m in private equity.10 March 2022[34][35]
American ExpressPayment systems  United StatesAmerican Express announced it had suspended all operations in Russia. All American Express cards will not work at merchants or ATMs in Russia and cards issued by Russian institutions will not work outside of the country. American Express stated its business in Russia is "small".6 March 2022[36]
Apple PayOnline payment systems  United StatesApple Pay stopped working in Russia due to sanctions on Russian banks. In 2020, 20% of Russians were using Apple Pay.26 February 2022[37][38]
Asian Infrastructure Investment BankBankingAsiaThe Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) stated it had put all activities relating to Russia and Belarus "on hold and under review."3 March 2022[39][40]
Australian Future Fund and NSW Generations FundSovereign wealth fund  AustraliaAustralia's Future Fund announced it would dump all Russian assets, worth A$200m, while the New South Wales government would dump A$75m of Russian assets from its NSW Generations Fund.28 February 2022[41][42]
Australian Retirement TrustSuperannuation  AustraliaThe Australian Retirement Trust announced it would dump A$133m in Russian assets.3 March 2022[43]
AustralianSuperSuperannuation  AustraliaAustralianSuper announced it would dump its A$175m portfolio of Russian assets as quickly as possible.4 March 2022[44]
Aware SuperSuperannuation  AustraliaAware Super announced it would dump its A$50m Russian investment portfolio.1 March 2022[45]
CbusSuperannuation  AustraliaCbus pledged to divest from Russian assets as soon as possible.1 March 2022[46]
CoinbaseCryptocurrency  United StatesCoinbase blocked 25,000 wallets belonging to sanctioned individuals. It also stated the use of "sophisticated blockchain analytics" to identify accounts indirectly linked to banned users.7 March 2022[47]
Colonial First StateSuperannuation  AustraliaColonial First State announced it would divest its Russian exposure, which made up 0.1% of its total funds.3 March 2022[48]
Goldman Sachs Group IncFinancial services  United StatesGoldman Sachs Group Inc is winding down its business in Russia in compliance with regulatory and licensing requirements.10 March 2022[49]
Google PayOnline payment systems  United StatesGoogle Pay stopped working in Russia due to sanctions on Russian banks. In 2020, 29% of Russians were using Google Pay.26 February 2022[37][38]
Government Employees Superannuation BoardSuperannuation  AustraliaWestern Australia's Government Employees Superannuation Board (GESB) stated it would reduce its exposure to 20 Russian companies, including Gazprom, Rosneft, Sberbank and Lukoil.3 March 2022[50]
Government Pension Fund of NorwaySovereign wealth fund  NorwayThe Government Pension Fund of Norway announced it will divest its Russian assets from 47 companies, including Sberbank, Gazprom and Lukoil, worth 25 billion crowns in 2021. However, it later stated its value is likely worth only 2.5 billion crowns and they were "pretty much written off".27 February 2022[51][52]
GunvorCommodities trading   SwitzerlandGunvor announced it had already sold all of its Russian assets but would review its minority, non-controlling stake in Ust-Luga Oil Products terminal.4 March 2022[53]
HESTASuperannuation  AustraliaHESTA announced it had sold Russian assets from its Sustainable Growth super fund and it does not intend to reinvest in Russian sovereign bonds and other Russian assets in the future.February 2022[54]
HostplusSuperannuation  AustraliaHostplus confirmed it would offload its A$10m in Russian assets.4 March 2022[55]
JCB Co., Ltd.Payment systems  JapanJCB announced the suspension of all its services in Russia.8 March 2022[56]
JPMorgan ChaseFinancial services  United StatesJPMorgan Chase announced it was actively unwinding business and would not pursue any new business in Russia. JPMorgan had fewer than 200 employees located in Russia.10 March 2022[57]
Legal & GeneralFinancial services  United KingdomLegal & General announced it will reduce its holdings in Russian assets, stating that 0.1% of its assets under management were Russian.1 March 2022[58][59]
MastercardPayment systems  United StatesMastercard blocks transactions linked to multiple Russian institutions on 1 March. It further announced on 5 March that all cards issued by Russian banks will not work anywhere inside or outside of Russia, at Russian merchants and ATMs. Russia made up about 4% of Mastercard's net revenue for 2021.1 March 2022[60][61][62]
National Employment Savings TrustGovernment pension scheme  United KingdomThe National Employment Savings Trust told its fund managers to sell all existing Russian shares and government bonds as soon as possible and pledged not to buy any more.1 March 2022[63][64]
New York State Department of Financial ServicesGovernment regulatory body  United StatesNew York Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order on 27 February, directing all New York State agencies and authorities to review and divest public funds from Russia. On 2 March, the state's Department of Financial Services expedited the procurement of blockchain analytics technology, allowing it to detect exposure of virtual currency businesses to sanctioned individuals.27 February 2022[65]
PayPalOnline payment systems  United StatesPayPal stopped accepting new users from signing up to PayPal in Russia and blocked transactions by some users and banks in Russia as of 2 March. On 5 March, it shut down its services in Russia.2 March 2022[66][67]
Paysera LTPayment systems  LithuaniaPaysera announced it will no longer accept transactions in rubles, close Russian accounts, and restrict money transfers to and from Russian banks.24 February 2022[68]
RemitlyPayment systems  United StatesRemitly suspended all money transfers to Russia in February 2022.28 February 2022[69]
RevolutFinancial services  United KingdomRevolut blocked payments to Russia and Belarus, and halted its support for transfers to or from parties in Belarus.4 March 2022[70]
TrafiguraCommodities trading  SingaporeTrafigura froze all Russian investments, including its share in Rosneft led project Vostok Oil.2 March 2022[71]
VisaPayment systems  United StatesVisa announced they have suspended all operations in Russia, including disabling all cards issued by Russian banks from being used outside of Russia, and all cards issued outside of Russia from being used within Russia. Russia made up about 4% of Visa's net revenue for 2021.3 March 2022[72][73]
Western UnionFinancial services  United StatesWestern Union stated it will suspend operations in Russia and Belarus.10 March 2022[74]
WisePayment systems  United KingdomWise suspended all money transfers to Russia after limiting daily transfers to £200. However, their website still provides a rouble exchange rate estimate for reference.28 February 2022[69]
World BankBankingInternationalThe World Bank announced it had stopped all programs in Russia and Belarus. It also stated it had not approved any new loans or investments to Russia since 2014 and Belarus since mid-2020.2 March 2022[75][76]

Other

Education, research and science

Company or organisationIndustryCountryActionsDateRef.
Agence nationale de la rechercheGovernment agency  FranceThe French National Research Agency suspended its partnership with the Russian Science Foundation and announced it will no longer take part in actions or funding involving Russian or Belarusian institutions.3 March 2022[78]
All European AcademiesNon-government organisationEuropeThe All European Academies suspended the membership of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.4 March 2022[79]
Arctic CouncilIntergovernmental organisationInternationalAll countries, except Russia, announced they will temporarily pause their participation in the Arctic Council since Russia holds the chairmanship.3 March 2022[80]
Arizona State UniversityUniversity  United StatesArizona State University divested its US$2.3m in Russian assets.7 March 2022[81]
Australian National UniversityUniversity  AustraliaThe Australian National University (ANU) suspended all links with the Moscow State Institute of International Relations and the National Research University Higher School of Economics.3 March 2022[82][83]
CERNNon-government organisation   SwitzerlandCERN announced it had suspended Russia's status as an observer to the organisation, would prohibit Russia from attending open sessions of the CERN Council, and would revoke its "special right" to attend restricted sessions on the Large Hadron Collider. There will also be no new collaborations with Russian institutions, however the 1100 current academics and institutes will be able to continue their work.8 March 2022[84][85]
Clarivate and Web of ScienceAnalytics  United StatesAnalytics company Clarivate closed its Russian office and ceased all commercial activity in the country. It also suspended the evaluation of all new journal submissions from Russia and Belarus in the Web of Science.11 March 2022[86]
Council on International Educational ExchangeNon-government organisation  United StatesThe Council on International Educational Exchange suspended its spring 2022 program in Saint Petersburg, relocating students to other universities in Eastern Europe.28 February 2022[87]
Deakin UniversityUniversity  AustraliaDeakin University announced that it would not enter any new agreements with Russia, not accept any new Russian students and exit its small indirect holding in Russian funds. It also stated that it does not currently have any partnerships with Russian agencies or universities.8 March 2022[88]
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and UK Research and InnovationGovernment agency  United KingdomUK's science minister George Freeman announced a review of all research funding from the UK government to Russian beneficiaries on 27 February 2022. This led to the UK Research and Innovation agency to suspend 50 grants for projects at British universities that were linked to Russian universities.27 February 2022[89][90]
Durham UniversityUniversity  United KingdomDurham University suspended all bilateral research collaboration with institutions in Russia and Belarus.10 March 2022[91]
edXOnline education  United StatesedX announced that all courses offered by Russian universities – ITMO University, National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, National University of Science and Technology MISiS, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia and Ural Federal University were removed from its website.4 March 2022[92]
European CommissionGovernment agencyEuropeThe European Commission suspended all payments to Russian institutions involved in EU-funded research projects. It also suspended the preparation of grant agreements for four projects under Horizon Europe.2 March 2022[93]
European Girls' Mathematical OlympiadMathematics competitionEuropeThe European Girls' Mathematical Olympiad excluded Russia from the competition in 2022, allowing Russia to compete in the competition remotely as private individuals.15 March 2022[94]
European Space AgencyGovernment agencyEuropeThe European Space Agency delayed ExoMars, a joint Europe-Russian mission to send a rover to Mars. Russia was set to provide the Kazachok lander and the mission was intended to launch on a Russian Proton rocket.28 February 2022[95][96]
European University AssociationNon-government organisationEuropeThe European University Association suspended the membership of 12 Russian universities who signed a pro-war statement.7 March 2022[97]
European XFELResearch facility  GermanyThe European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser Facility announced it will not start new agreements with Russian institutions and will suspend existing ones.2 March 2022[98]
French National Centre for Scientific ResearchGovernment agency  FranceThe French National Centre for Scientific Research suspends all new scientific collaboration with Russia.2 March 2022[99]
German Academic Exchange ServiceNon-government organisation  GermanyThe German Academic Exchange Service restricts all exchange to Russia, including cancelling scholarships for those offered to study in Russia.25 February 2022[100]
German Research FoundationGovernment agency  GermanyThe German Research Foundation suspended all scientific collaboration with Russia, including the sharing of data, samples, research and equipment. Researchers applying for a fellowship in Russia will have to choose another country.2 March 2022[101]
Global Network for Advanced ManagementNon-government organisationInternationalThe Global Network for Advanced Management suspends the Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO from its network upon request from the school's dean.8 March 2022[102]
International Mathematical OlympiadMathematics competitionInternationalThe International Mathematical Olympiad suspended the membership of Russia, allowing Russia to compete in the competition remotely as private individuals.25 March 2022[103]
International Mathematical UnionNon-government organisationInternationalThe International Mathematical Union moved the 2022 International Congress of Mathematicians and awarding of the Fields Medal online; it was originally scheduled to be held in Saint Petersburg.26 February 2022[104]
Journal of Molecular StructureAcademic journalNoneThe Journal of Molecular Structure stopped considering manuscripts submitted by scientists at Russian institutions.[89]
Julius Maximilian University of WürzburgUniversity  GermanyThe Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg halts all institutional collaborations with Russia and bans researchers from undertaking business trips in Russia.8 March 2022[105]
Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyUniversity  United StatesMassachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) ended its relationship with the Skolkovo Foundation, affecting 21 MIT faculty members and 38 students.25 February 2022[106]
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial PhysicsNon-government organisation  GermanyThe Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics switched off the eROSITA black hole telescope aboard the Russian Spektr-RG satellite.26 February 2022[107][108]
Middlebury CollegeUniversity  United StatesMiddlebury College suspended its Russian exchange programme, allowing students to complete the course remotely.28 February 2022[106]
NASAGovernment agency  United StatesSpace agency NASA explored ways to keep the International Space Station in orbit without Russia. It noted that Northrop Grumman had offered reboost capability and suggested that SpaceX could help.1 March 2022[109]
National Research CouncilGovernment agency  ItalyItaly's National Research Council announced it will suspend operations in Russia and will not renew research agreements with institutions linked to Russia.28 February 2022[110]
QS World University RankingsNon-government organisation  United KingdomThe QS World University Rankings announced it will remove Russian and Belarusian universities from future rankings and will cease promoting study at its universities.7 March 2022[111]
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Dutch Research CouncilNon-government organisation  NetherlandsAll universities, university medical centers, universities of applied sciences, the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Dutch Research Council suspended partnerships with institutions in Russia and Belarus.4 March 2022[112]
Stanford UniversityUniversity  United StatesStanford University ends a US$1.65m contract with an undisclosed entity from Russia.12 March 2022[113]
Tallinn University of TechnologyUniversity  EstoniaTalTech stops accepting new Russian, Belarusian students.23 March 2022[114]
UAMUniversity  PolandThe Adam Mickiewicz University suspends all collaboration with Russian and Belarusian universities.3 March 2022[115]
Universities UKNon-government organisation  United KingdomUniversities UK suspended its memorandum of understanding with the Russian Union of Rectors after it publishes a pro-war statement.7 March 2022[116]
University of AberdeenUniversity  United KingdomThe University of Aberdeen suspended all bilateral agreements with Russian institutions indefinitely.1 March 2022[117]
University of ArizonaUniversity  United StatesThe University of Arizona divested its US$1.5m in Russian assets.7 March 2022[81]
University of ColoradoUniversity  United StatesThe University of Colorado announced it would liquidate its investment in publicly traded Russian companies and mutual funds with holdings in Russia, around US$6.1m.3 March 2022[118]
University of GlasgowUniversity  United KingdomThe University of Glasgow announced it would suspend all partnerships with Russian and Belarusian academic institutions throughout the university.9 March 2022[119]
University of ReadingUniversity  United KingdomThe University of Reading suspends its partnership with the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.11 March 2022[120]
University of St AndrewsUniversity  United KingdomThe University of St Andrews announced it suspended all programs, collaborations and activities with Russia, including its joint Masters program with Moscow State University. It also divested its £40,000 in Russian holdings.8 March 2022[121]
University of TartuUniversity  EstoniaThe University of Tartu restricts applications from Russian and Belarusian students.9 March 2022[122]
University of TübingenUniversity  GermanyThe University of Tübingen suspends all cooperation with Russian universities and research facilities, joint research activities and joint conferences. It also cancelled student exchanges in Russia and business trips to Russia.3 March 2022[123]
Western Sydney UniversityUniversity  AustraliaWestern Sydney University suspended all ties and activities with Russian universities and institutions.7 March 2022[124]

Energy

Company or organisationIndustryCountryActionsDateRef.
Amber GridNatural gas  LithuaniaLithuania became the first EU country to end imports of Russian gas following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.1 April 2022[125]
BPOil and gas  United KingdomBP announced it had exited its 19.75% shareholding in Rosneft, worth approximately US$14 billion. Furthermore, BP announces the resignation of its staff from the Rosneft board of directors, BP Chief Executive Bernard Looney and former BP chief executive Robert Dudley.27 February 2022[126]
CentricaEnergy  United KingdomCentrica announced it would exit all gas supply agreements with Russian companies, principally with Gazprom.1 March 2022[127]
ExxonMobilOil and gas  United StatesExxonMobil cut ties with Russia, discontinuing operations and exiting the Sakhalin-II oil project. It also announced it will not be investing in new developments in the country.2 March 2022[128]
EneosOil and gas  JapanEneos pledged to end crude oil imports from Russia after its contract ends in April. It seeks alternative sources from the Middle East.22 March 2022[129]
EquinorEnergy  NorwayEquinor announced its decision to stop new investments into Russia, and start the process of exiting Equinor's Russian Joint Ventures, worth US$1.2 billion.28 February 2022[130]
FortumEnergy  FinlandFortum announced it will not make new investments in Russia and will reduce its exposure to thermal power production. Fortum owns seven thermal power plants in Russia and has a 78% stake in Uniper which owns five thermal power plants.3 March 2022[131]
Idemitsu KosanOil and gas  JapanIdemitsu Kosan suspended all crude oil imports from Russia following the announcement of Eneos.23 March 2022[132]
RosneftOil and gas  GermanyDue to a boycott of Russian crude, three Rosneft refineries were taken over by the German state to avert a shut-down.18 Sept 2022[133]
ShellOil and gas  United KingdomShell stopped buying Russian crude oil and stated it would phase out its involvement in all Russian hydrocarbons from oil to natural gas. It apologised for buying Russian oil after it had said it would pull out of its Russian operations. It had previously announced a withdrawal from all Russian exposure on 1 March, including pulling out of the Sakhalin-II LNG project, and withdrawing its support of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.1 March 2022[126][134]
TotalEnergiesOil and gas  FranceTotalEnergies announced it "will no longer provide capital for new projects in Russia" but has retained ownership of its 19.4% stake in privately owned Novatek, 20% stake in the Yamal project and 10% stake in Arctic LNG 2.1 March 2022[135]
UniperEnergy  GermanyUniper announced it would take a full impairment loss on its loan to Nord Stream 2 worth 987m and would divest from its majority 83.73% stake in Unipro. However, it would not end long-term gas supply contracts as they are vital to Europe's gas supply.7 March 2022[136]
VestasWind  DenmarkVestas announced it had stopped four wind turbine projects in Russia which were expected to be operational in late 2022 with capacity 253MW. It further announced it will not enter into new Russian projects.3 March 2022[137][138]

Entertainment

Company or organisationIndustryCountryActionsDateRef.
The Walt Disney CompanyMotion pictures
Content and product licensing
 United StatesDisney first announced that it would pause theatrical releases in Russia, including the release of Turning Red on 1 March, The company ended all business in Russia, including content and product licensing, Disney Cruise Line activities, National Geographic magazine, tours and content production on 10 March.1 March 2022 (Motion pictures)
10 March 2022 (Other activities)
[139][140][141][142]
Sony Pictures EntertainmentMotion pictures  United StatesSony Pictures Entertainment first suspended theatrical releases in the country, beginning with Morbius on 1 March, Two weeks later on 11 March, the company halted business operations in Russia, leading to cancellations of future television distribution deals and a planned home entertainment release of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Crunchyroll also suspended its anime streaming service in Russia.1 March 2022 (Motion pictures)
11 March 2022 (TV distribution deals, home entertainment releases and Crunchyroll)
[140][141][142][143]
Warner Bros. DiscoveryMotion pictures
Television broadcasting
 United StatesWarner Bros. Discovery (at the time WarnerMedia), announced that they have paused Warner Bros. theatrical releases in Russia, including the release of The Batman on 1 March, Later on 9 March, they shut down three networks in Russia.1 March 2022 (Motion pictures)
9 March 2022 (Television networks)
[144][140][141][142]
Paramount GlobalMotion pictures  United StatesParamount announced on 1 March that it will pause theatrical releases in Russia, including the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, later it was announced they cancelled plans on the launch of its streaming service Paramount+ in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.1 March 2022 (Motion pictures)[140][141][142]
Universal Pictures (NBCUniversal)Motion pictures  United StatesUniversal announced they would pause theatrical releases in Russia, including the release of The Bad Guys.1 March 2022[140][141][142][145]
NetflixStreaming service  United StatesNetflix announced it would not add 20 Russian channels to their service, despite a requirement to do so under Russian law. On 4 March, it was announced that the streammer has paused all future projects and acquisitions from Russia, effectively cancelling some of those potential movies and shows. On 6 March, Netflix went even further and announced it will pull out its service from Russia altogether.4 March 2022 (Projects and Acquisitions)
6 March 2022 (full service)
[146][147][148]
YouTube (Google)Video sharing service  United StatesYouTube said that its immediately blocking access around the world to channels associated with Russian state-funded media, citing a policy barring content that denies, minimizes or trivializes well-documented violent events.11 March 2022[149]
DirecTVSatellite service  United StatesDirecTV stopped distribution of Russian-controlled television network RT America, sister network to RT. RT America has ceased operations.3 March 2022[150]
GlobecastContent distribution  United StatesGlobecast is disrupting the transmission of Russian-controlled television network RT to customers of Singaporean cable providers Singtel TV and Starhub TV, as well as other customers of Access Communications in Canada and Sky in New Zealand.27 February 2022 (New Zealand)
2 March 2022 (Canada)
4 March 2022 (Singapore)
[151][152][153][154]
Roku, Inc.OTT box maker  United StatesRoku, Inc. removed Russian-controlled television network RT from its stores in the US and Europe.3 March 2022[150]
DiscordSocial media service  United StatesDiscord announced that they will suspend sales of Discord Nitro to Russian customers.17 March 2022[155]
TikTokSocial media service  ChinaTikTok had restricted access to Russian state media accounts in the European Union.28 February 2022[156]
Cannes Film FestivalFilm festival  FranceThe Cannes Film Festival stated that Russian delegation will not be welcome at its events.2 March 2022[157]
Venice Film FestivalFilm festival  ItalyThe Venice Film Festival stated that Russian delegation will not be welcome at its events.2 March 2022[158]
Glasgow Film FestivalFilm festival  United KingdomThe Glasgow Film Festival dropped two Russian films from its line-up for 2022, No Looking Back and The Execution, both receiving Russian funding.2 March 2022[159]
National Association of Television Program ExecutivesTelevision trade organization  United StatesThe NATPE banned Russian companies from its international television trade fair in Hungary.1 March 2022[160]
European Film AcademyFilm organization  GermanyThe EFA boycotted all Russian films.1 March 2022[161]
BBC Studios (British Broadcasting Corporation)Television production  United KingdomBBC Studios stopped doing business with Russia, including licensing of their shows to Russian customers as well as licensing its formats for its series.1 March 2022[162]
All3MediaTelevision production  United KingdomAll3Media and its subsidiary company All3Media International stopped doing business with Russia, including licensing of their shows to Russian customers as well as licensing its formats for its series.1 March 2022[162]
ITV Studios (ITV plc)Television production  United KingdomITV Studios stopped doing business with Russia, including licensing of their shows to Russian customers as well as licensing its formats for its series, including The Voice.1 March 2022[162]
European Broadcasting UnionBroadcasting consortiumEurope
(HQ   Switzerland)
The European Broadcasting Union excluded Russia from participating in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, with the organisers saying its inclusion could "bring the competition into disrepute". On 26 May 2022, the Union suspended its Russian members indefinitely.25 February 2022[163][164][165]
SpotifyMusic streaming service  SwedenSpotify closed its Russian office until further notice and removed all content from Russian state-owned media.3 March 2022[150]
Royal Opera HouseOpera house  United KingdomThe Royal Opera House cut ties with the Bolshoi Ballet.28 February 2022[166]
Metropolitan OperaOpera house  United StatesThe Metropolitan Opera had cut ties with Russian performers who had voiced support for Putin, including who initially supported Putin but later opposed the invasion of Ukraine, such as soprano Anna Netrebko.28 February 2022[166]
Vienna PhilharmonicOrchestra  AustriaThe Vienna Philharmonic had cut ties with Russian performers who had voiced support for Putin, even those who opposed the invasion of Ukraine, including conductor Valery Gergiev, and the Bolshoi Theatre.28 February 2022[166]
WWEWrestling promotion  United StatesWWE terminated its broadcast partnership with Russian television network Match and shut down the WWE Network in Russia.3 March 2022[167]
Linus Media GroupYouTube content creator  CanadaThe YouTube content creator Linus Media Group had ceased working with Russian and Belarusian entities and stopped shipping merchandise from their store to those countries.4 March 2022[168]
Fédération Internationale Féline (International Cat Federation)Cat show governing bodyInternationalThe FIF banned cats bred in Russia from being imported or registered in its pedigree book outside Russia, and exhibitors living in Russia from being entered at any of its shows outside Russia, meaning cats bred in Russia or owned by Russians are banned from competitions. The restrictions are valid until the end of May.28 February 2022[169][170]
European Tree of the YearEventEuropeThe organizer of the European Tree of the Year put Russia out of the running for the contest, excluding the Turgenev's Oak from nomination.28 February 2022[171][172]
Universal Music GroupMusic distribution  Netherlands
 United States
Universal Music Group suspended its Russian operations.8 March 2022[173]
PRS for MusicPerformance rights organization  United KingdomPRS for Music cancelled its partnership with the Russian Authors' Society (RAO).8 March 2022[174]
ASCAPMusic rights organization  United StatesASCAP suspended their royalty payments to the Russian Authors' Society (RAO).9 March 2022[175]
Broadcast Music, Inc.Music rights organization  United StatesBMI suspended their royalty payments to the Russian Authors' Society (RAO).9 March 2022[175]
SIAEMusic rights organization  ItalyThe SIAE suspended their royalty payments to the Russian Authors' Society (RAO).9 March 2022[175]
Live NationConcert promotion  United StatesLive Nation ceased its operations in Russia, leading up to its cancellation of concerts in the country.2 March 2022[176]
Warner Music GroupMusic distribution  United StatesWMG suspended their operations in Russia.10 March 2022[177]
Sony Music EntertainmentMusic distribution  United StatesSony Music Entertainment is suspending their operations in Russia.10 March 2022[178]
Kobalt Music GroupMusic publishing  United StatesKobalt is suspending its music publishing and their business activity in Russia.10 March 2022[179]
DowntownMusic publishing  United StatesDowntown is suspending its music publishing and their business activity in Russia.10 March 2022[179]
Warner Bros. DiscoveryTelevision broadcasting  United StatesWarner Bros. Discovery (at the time Discovery Inc), shut down 15 networks in Russia on 9 March 2022.9 March 2022[180][144]
Deutsche WelleNews organization  GermanyDeutsche Welle announced that they will be closing down their Moscow bureau and most of the journalists will be relocated to Riga, Latvia.9 March 2022[144]
Canal+ GroupTelevision broadcasting  FranceCanal+ Group through its subsidiary company Thema announced that the distribution of TV5MONDE Europe will be suspended in Russia.9 March 2022[144]
France 24Television broadcasting  FranceFrance 24 suspended its broadcasts in Russia.9 March 2022[144]
NHKTelevision broadcasting  JapanThe public broadcaster's English language channel NHK World TV suspended its broadcasts in Russia. NHK World Premium has continued its broadcasting.9 March 2022[144]
LNKTelevision network  LithuaniaLNK is removing its Russian production involvement in its programming.4 March 2022[181]
TV3Television network  LithuaniaTV3 is removing its Russian production involvement in its programming.4 March 2022[181]
Telia LietuvaTelecommunication company  LithuaniaTelia Lietuva stopped broadcasting Russian TV channels from its cable television service.4 March 2022[181]
CgatesTelecommunication company  LithuaniaCgates stopped broadcasting Russian TV channels from its cable television service.4 March 2022[181]
SpliusTelecommunication company  LithuaniaSplius stopped broadcasting Russian TV channels from its cable television service.4 March 2022[181]
American Kennel ClubDog show governing body  United StatesThe AKC said they will not approve judges from Russia to events it holds, and will deny any new requests for imported dog registrations from the Russian Kennel Federation.10 March 2022[182][183]
Corus EntertainmentTelevision broadcasting
Content licensing
 CanadaCorus suspended all business relations and transactions with corporations or individuals living or operating in Russia.4 March 2022[184]
International Academy of Television Arts and SciencesTelevision award body  United StatesThe International Academy of Television Arts and Science announced that all programmes produced in Russia will not be eligible at the 50th International Emmy Awards. It had previously announced that the Academy had been suspending memberships from Russia as well as formal affiliations with Russian companies.28 March 2022[185]
Games WorkshopMiniature wargames company  United KingdomGames Workshop announced that all sales of its products in Russia had been suspended in protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.16 March 2022[186]

Video games and esports

CompanyIndustryCountryActionsDateRef.
Natus VincereEsports organization  UkraineNAVI had severed its partnership with Russian esport organisation ESForce with companies under ESForce Holding includes RuHub, Epic Esports Events, Cybersport.ru and Virtus.pro.2 March 2022[187]
BLAST PremierEsports league  DenmarkBLAST Premier cancelled its upcoming tournament qualifier for the CIS region and banned Russian-based teams from attending its events for the "foreseeable future".2 March 2022[188]
ESLEsports league  GermanyThe ESL bans organisations with ties to the Russian government from participating in ESL Pro League, including Virtus.pro and Gambit Esports. However, the players are allowed to participate in the tournament "under a neutral name, without representing their country, organization or their teams’ sponsors on their clothing". All scheduled tournaments in the CIS region have also been paused and postponed.6 March 2022[189]
Elisa EsportsEsports organizer  FinlandElisa Esports bans all Russian-owned organisations from participating in its tournaments.2 March 2022[190]
WePlayEsports organizer  UkraineWePlay terminated its cooperation with all partners from the Russian Federation.7 March 2022[191]
Electronic ArtsGame publishing  United StatesEA halted sales of its games in both Russia and Belarus on 4 March. Previously, it had removed the Russian teams from FIFA 22, FIFA Mobile, and FIFA Online, and removed the Russian and Belarusian teams from NHL 22.4 March 2022 (Game software sales)[192][193]
CD ProjektGame publishing  PolandCD Projekt had cut off sales for all of its products to Russia and Belarus, including Cyberpunk 2077 and all games on GOG.com.3 March 2022[194][195]
NintendoGame publishing
Console maker
 JapanNintendo had placed the Nintendo eShop for Russia into maintenance mode, which disabled the ability to make purchases or downloads for Nintendo Switch digital games, DLC, or microtransactions on 4 March. Six days later on 10 March, the company has suspended shipments of software and hardware to Russia and has delayed the release of Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp.4 March 2022 (Nintendo eShop)
10 March 2022 (Shipments of game software and console hardware)
[196][197]
Sony Interactive EntertainmentGame publishing
Console maker
 JapanSIE pulled Gran Turismo 7 from digital and physical sale in Russia on 4 March. After facing public pressure to block their Russian player base, Sony announced on 9 March that shipments of PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 consoles & physical games along with shipments of software and hardware to Russia have been suspended. Moreover, the Russian PlayStation Store will be closed until further notice, meaning Russian players will be unable to purchase or download digital games, DLC, and microtransactions.4 March 2022 (sales of Gran Turismo 7)
9 March 2022 (shipments of consoles & physical games, PlayStation Store)
[198][199][200][196]
Activision BlizzardGame publishing  United StatesActivision Blizzard has halted sales of its games in Russia.5 March 2022[201]
Epic GamesGame publishing  United StatesEpic Games halted sale of games, including Fortnite, as well as payments to the Epic Games store is suspended in Russia. The company announced that the portion of the sales of the said game from March 20 to April 3 to humanitarian relief organizations working in Ukraine.5 March 2022[201][202]
UbisoftGame publishing  FranceUbisoft announced that they suspended sales of their games in Russia.7 March 2022[203]
Take-Two InteractiveGame publishing  United StatesTake-Two had suspended sales of their games in Russia.7 March 2022[203]
RovioGame publishing  FinlandRovio had removed their games, including Angry Birds, from Russian and Belarusian app stores.9 March 2022[204]
SupercellGame publishing  FinlandSupercell removed their games, including Clash of Clans, from Russian and Belarusian app stores.9 March 2022[205]
SCS SoftwareGame publishing  Czech RepublicThe publisher had postponed development on the planned Heart of Russia DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2, which was first announced in March 2021.14 March 2022[206]
Niantic LabsGame publishing  United StatesNiantic Labs suspended downloads and gameplay of its games, such as Pokémon Go, in Russia and Belarus.12 March 2022[207]
Valve CorporationSoftware store  United StatesValve, the operator of the Steam platform, announced that they will stop payments to Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Previously, it was criticized in early March 2022 for remaining in the Russian market despite many other foreign video game companies leaving.17 March 2022[199][208]
PGLEsports organizer  RomaniaVirtus.pro and Gambit Esports are barred from participating in the upcoming PGL Antwerp Major and its Regional Major Ranking (RMR). Players from the affected organizations are allowed to play "under neutral names and jerseys".9 April 2022[209]

Food and beverage

CompanyIndustryCountryActionsDateRef.
Supermarket retailers, including:Supermarket  Latvia
 Lithuania
 Estonia
Most supermarkets removed Russian and Belarusian products, such as food, drinks, magazines, and newspapers, with the most notable supermarket chains to join the boycott.24 February 2022 (Lithuania)
25 February 2022 (Latvia)
27 February 2022 (Estonia)
[210]
[211]
[212]
Liquor regulation organizations including:Government organization  CanadaThe liquor control boards of several provinces, including the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, the Société des alcools du Québec, the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation, the Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation, the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation, and the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, were ordered to remove Russian alcohol products from retail stores. The government of British Columbia ceased the import of Russian liquor products, and the Liquor Control Board of Ontario announced the removal of Russian liquor from all 679 liquor retailers within its jurisdiction.25 February 2022[213]
[214]
[215]
[216]
[217]
[218][153]
States, including:Government regulation  United StatesThe governors of Ohio, New Hampshire, and Utah placed legal restrictions on the sale of Russian liquor, and many bars, restaurants, and liquor retailers have removed Russian brands from their selections voluntarily, with some supporting Ukrainian liquors in a further show of solidarity with Ukraine. The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority pulled Russian-sourced vodka from its stores and places them into storage. Utah and New Hampshire signs executive orders removing all Russian produced and Russian-branded alcohol from its stores. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board no longer sells nor procures Russian products.26 February 2022 (Florida, Utah, Virginia and New Hampshire)
28 February 2022 (Pennsylvania)
[219]
[220]
[221]
[222]
[223]
[224]
AlkoAlcohol monopoly  FinlandAlko, the Finnish alcohol monopoly, stopped the sale of Russian alcoholic beverages.28 February 2022
SystembolagetAlcohol monopoly  SwedenSystembolaget, the Swedish alcohol monopoly, stopped the sale of Russian alcoholic beverages.28 February 2022[225]
VinmonopoletAlcohol monopoly  NorwayVinmonopolet, the Norwegian alcohol monopoly, stopped the sale of Russian alcoholic beverages.1 March 2022[226]
Retailers, including:Supermarket  FinlandFinland's two main retailers removed Russian goods from their shelves.28 February 2022[227]
NorgesgruppenRetailer group  NorwayNorgesgruppen, Norway's biggest retailer group and operator behind Meny, Kiwi, Joker and Spar grocery stores removed Russian goods from their shelves.1 March 2022[228]
Supermarkets, including:Supermarket  DenmarkMost supermarkets removed all Russian products.26 February 2022[229]
[230]
FonterraDairy milk producer  New ZealandFonterra, one of the world's largest dairy producers, suspended shipments of all its dairy products to Russia.28 February 2022[231]
Retailers, including:Retailer  AustraliaAustralian retailers removed all Russian made alcohol from their stores and services.28 February 2022[232]
[233]
MetcashRetail company  AustraliaMetcash stops stocking all Russian made products from its company owned stores.28 February 2022
NemiroffVodka drink  UkraineNemiroff cancelled its licence for production in Russia.6 March 2022[234]
DiageoLiquor maker  FranceDiageo, famous for creating products including Smirnoff vodka, paused all exports of its spirits to Russia.3 March 2022[235]
Food retailers, including:Food retailer  United KingdomBritish food retailers have removed all Russian-made spirits, notably Russian Standard vodka from their shelves.4 March 2022[236]
SPILiquor maker  LatviaSPI, the holding company behind Stolichnaya vodka has said the company would rebrand its signature vodka to just Stoli, and change the source of the ingredients from Russia to Slovakia.6 March 2022[237]
FazerConfectionery maker  FinlandFazer had suspended all exports of its confectionery, grain and bakery products from Finland to Russia and stopped all investments. Later, the company exits all its operations in Russia.7 March 2022[238]
OlviBeverage maker  FinlandOlvi stopped exporting to Russia and Belarus, suspended investments in Belarus and started withdrawing from the Belarusian market.7 March 2022[239]
BudvarBeer maker  Czech RepublicBudvar halted beer deliveries to Russia.6 March 2022[240]
AtriaMeat  FinlandAtria, the company made famous for its meat brands such as Pit-Product and CampoMos, had stop its operations in Russia.7 February 2022[241]
DanoneFood and Beverage maker  FranceDanone had suspending investments in Russia, but would maintain the production and distribution of fresh dairy products and infant nutrition.7 March 2022[242]
Arla FoodsDairy milk producer  DenmarkArla Foods, one of the world's largest dairy producers, suspending its business operations and imports in Russia.7 March 2022[243]
ValioDairy milk  FinlandValio had stopped all exports from Finland to Russia and Belarus. Later, the company closed its business operation in Russia, including imports to Finland.7 March 2022[244]
PauligFood and beverage  FinlandThe Finnish-based food and beverage company had withdrawed from Russia.7 March 2022[245]
Yum BrandsRestaurant franchising group  United StatesYum Brands, which has 1,000 KFC and Pizza Hut franchises in Russia, had faced criticism for not joining the boycott earlier, announced on 9 March that it would suspend all investment and restaurant development in the country. It also announced it would suspend operations of company-owned KFC restaurants and will make arrangements to suspend Pizza Hut restaurant operations.9 March 2022[19][246]
McDonald'sFast food restaurant  United StatesMcDonald's, which had been criticised for not joining the boycott, announced on 8 March it would temporarily close 850 locations in Russia, but would continue to pay its 62,000 Russian employees.[247] On 27 May, it was announced that the company would sell its Russian restaurants to licensee Alexander Govor,[248] who rebranded them as Vkusno & tochka.This company operative also in Belarus since November 2022.8 March 2022[18][249]
StarbucksCoffee shops  United StatesLikewise, after being criticised for not joining the boycott, the company announced on 8 March it was suspending all business activity in Russia and would pause store operations at its 130 locations in the country. CEO Kevin Johnson further explained financial support would be provided to affected employees.8 March 2022[19]
[17]
[250][251]
The Coca-Cola CompanyBeverage maker  United StatesCoca-Cola, following several days of public pressure, announced on 8 March 2022 it was "suspending its business in Russia".8 March 2022[19][20][252]
PepsiCoBeverage maker  United StatesPepsiCo, which also initially resisted boycott calls, announced in a letter from CEO Ramon Laguarta, said that the "suspension of the sale of Pepsi-Cola, and our global beverage brands in Russia, including 7Up and Mirinda[,]... capital investments and all advertising and promotional activities in Russia." However, PepsiCo maintained it had a "responsibility" to continue to sell "milk and other dairy offerings, baby formula and baby food", and "by continuing to operate, we will also continue to support the livelihoods of our 20,000 Russian associates and the 40,000 Russian agricultural workers in our supply chain".8 March 2022[17]
[16][18]
[19]
[20]
[253]
Heineken N.V.Beer  NetherlandsHeineken has stopped the production and sale of its namesake brand of beer in Russia. It had previously announced a suspension on new investments and exports to Russia. A number of local Russian brands continue operating, but they will be financially isolated from the main company.9 March 2022[254]
[255]
[256]
Carlsberg GroupBeer  DenmarkCarlsberg has suspended further investments in, and exports to or from, Russia. Production and sale of its namesake brand of beer has been stopped. The local Russian Baltika brands continues operating, but any potential profits will be forwarded to humanitarian organisations.9 March 2022[257]
[258]
[259]
LindtCandy maker   SwitzerlandLindt temporarily closed their shops and suspended all of their deliveries to Russia.9 March 2022[260]
Brown–FormanLiquor maker  United StatesBrown–Forman, owners of several brands including Jack Daniel's and Finlandia Vodka, suspended commercial operations in Russia.9 March 2022[261]
NestléFood and beverage maker   SwitzerlandNestlé had suspended all capital investment in Russia on March 9, 2022. Two weeks later, amid public pressure, the company would suspend advertising, imports and exports of non-essential brands such as Nesquik and KitKat, and overall profits in the country of Russia. Essential products such as baby formula and hospital nutrition continue to be sold, with all profits being directed towards humanitarian organizations.2 March 2022 (advertising, imports and exports on non-essential brands)
9 March 2022 (capital investment)
[262]
[263]
Papa John'sFast food restaurant  United StatesPapa John's has suspended all corporate operations in Russia, but it will still have 188 independent franchisee-owned stores in Russia, but it has halted all operational, marketing and business support to Russia.9 March 2022[264]
[265]
KFCFast food restaurant  United StatesAfter pressure from Alaskan legislators, the Alaska Permanent Fund announced it will not purchase any new Russian securities and will look to divest its Russian portfolio, consisting of US$63m in fixed income, US$153m in public equities and US$2.7m in private equity.October 2022
Kraft HeinzCondiment maker  United StatesKraft Heinz, which sells ketchup and other condiments in Russia, is suspending all new investments in Russia, as well as all exports and imports of its products into and out of Russia.8 March 2022[266]
Little CaesarsFast food restaurant  United StatesLittle Caesars halts all operations at Russian stores, which are owned by franchisees.9 March 2022[267]
Mars, IncorporatedFood and animal care maker  United StatesMars, the food and animal care corporation including the maker of M&M's and Snickers, had expanding production in Russia in August 2021, announced on 1 March that they will suspending advertising in Russia and Belarus, but will continue to produce goods at its factories, including in five facilities that produce its pet food. Later on 10 March the company suspended new investments in Russia and will not import or export their products in or out of Russia, but it will refocus their efforts in Russia on their "essential role in feeding the Russian people and pets."1 March 2022 (advertising)
10 March 2022 (investments)
[268]
[269]
Mondelez InternationalFood and beverage maker  United StatesMondelez International announced that has scaled back all non-essential activities in Russia, but it will continue helping maintain the food supply during the invasion.9 March 2022 (non-essential activities only)[270]
Kellogg'sCereal maker  United StatesKellogg's, a company that specializes on cereals and operates several plants in Russia; announced that the company has suspended all shipments and investments in Russia.8 March 2022[271]
Burger KingFast food restaurant  United StatesBurger King, a fast food franchise, called for suspension of all of its 880 franchised locations in Russia.10 March 2022[272]
National Mustard MuseumMuseum  United StatesNational Mustard Museum removed Russian mustards from exhibition, saying the mustards will be back "once the invasion of Ukraine is over and Russia recognizes and respects the sovereign nation of Ukraine" on a sign. The museum reverted the removal after the incident went viral online, saying Russian mustard makers are not responsible for the Ukrainian War.15 March 2022[182][273]

Goods

Automotive

CompanyIndustryCountryActionsDateRef.
Ford Motor CompanyCars  United StatesFord suspended all sales and operations in Russia.28 February 2022[274][275]
General MotorsCars  United StatesGM, the maker of Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC vehicles, suspended all sales and operations in Russia.28 February 2022[274][275]
Jaguar CarsCars  United KingdomJaguar suspended all sales and operations in Russia.28 February 2022[274][275]
VolvoCars  SwedenVolvo suspended all sales and operations in Russia.28 February 2022[274][275]
HondaCars  JapanHonda suspended all exports to Russia.28 February 2022[276]
ToyotaCars  JapanToyota announced it halted production at its plant in Saint Petersburg and ceased all shipments to Russia.3 March 2022[277]
MazdaCars  JapanMazda suspended shipments of parts to Russia.28 February 2022[278]
Mitsubishi MotorsCars  JapanMitsubishi Motors assessed the risk of operating in Russia. Mitsubishi operates a small plant in partnership with Stellantis in Kaluga, southwest of Moscow. The plant employs about 2,700 people and produces small delivery vans.28 February 2022[278]
VolkswagenCars  GermanyVolkswagen suspended production at Kaluga and Nizhny Novgorod sites and also stopped exports to Russia.3 March 2022[279]
NissanCars  JapanNissan is halting work at its factory in the Russian city of St. Petersburg. Earlier it had suspended vehicle exports to Russia.7 March 2022[280]
StellantisCars  NetherlandsStellantis, the maker of Jeep, Fiat and Peugeot vehicles, has suspended exports of cars from Russia and imports of vehicles into the country. It operates a small plant in partnership with Mitsubishi in Kaluga, southwest of Moscow. The plant employs about 2,700 people and produces small delivery vans.10 March 2022[281]
Hyundai Motor CompanyCars  South KoreaHyundai, which produces about 200,000 cars in Russia annually, was criticized for not joining the boycott early. On 1 March, it announced suspension of production in Russia but sales have not paused. Hyundai holds a 70% stake in the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Rus plant in St. Petersburg which is being sold in December 2023.1 March 2022 (suspension of production)[282][283][284][285] [286]
Daimler Truck Holding AGTrucks  GermanyDaimler Truck Holding AG discontinued business activities in Russia and reviewed ties with Kamaz.28 February 2022[275]
Harley-DavidsonMotorcycle  United StatesHarley-Davidson suspended all business in Russia.3 March 2022[275]
Yamaha Motor CompanyMotorcycle  JapanYamaha Motor Company suspended cycling exports in Russia.4 March 2022[287]

Apparel and accessories

CompanyIndustryCountryActionsDateRef.
Nike, Inc.Sports clothing  United StatesNike halted all online sales in Russia, stating it could not guarantee delivery of products. However, its stores throughout Russia were open on 11 March, more than a week after the sports retailer said it was temporarily closing down all its approximately 100 shops in the country. On 23 June 2022, Nike announced that it would fully exit Russia.1 March 2022 (online sales)
11 March 2022 (retail stores)
23 June 2022 (full exit)
[288][289][290]
AdidasSports clothing  GermanyAdidas announced on 1 March that it suspend its kit partnership with Russian Football Union, but it later announced on 9 March that most of its 500 stores operating in Russia, had closed them along with online sales there.1 March 2022 (Russian Football Union partnership)
9 March 2022 (Retail stores)
[291][292]
H&MClothing  SwedenH&M paused all sales in Russia.3 March 2022[293]
BurberryClothing  United KingdomBurberry paused all sales in Russia.3 March 2022[293]
YOOX Net-a-Porter GroupE-commerce  ItalyYOOX Net-a-Porter Group, operator of Net-A-Porter, YOOX, The Outnet and Mr. Porter, had suspended deliveries in the country.2 March 2022[288]
FarfetchE-commerce  United Kingdom  PortugalFarfetch had suspended deliveries in the country.2 March 2022[288]
LVMHFashion retailer group  FranceLVMH, operator of fashion retail brands Dior, Givenchy, Fendi, Sephora and Bulgari and has 124 stores in Russia, announced that they will close all of their stores in Russia.4 March 2022[294][295]
HermèsFashion retailer  FranceHermès announced that they will close 3 stores in Russia.4 March 2022[294][295]
ChanelFashion retailer  FranceChanel announced that they will close 17 stores in Russia.4 March 2022[294][295]
KeringFashion retailer group  FranceKering, operator of fashion retail brands Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, and Balenciaga, announced that they will close all of their stores in Russia.4 March 2022[294][295]
RichemontFashion retailer group   SwitzerlandRichemont, operator of fashion retail brands Cartier, Buccellati, Piaget and Montblanc, announced that they will close all of their stores in Russia.4 March 2022[294][295]
ASOSOnline fashion retailer  United KingdomASOS suspended sales in Russia.2 March 2022[296]
Boohoo.comOnline fashion retailer  United KingdomBoohoo.com suspended sales in Russia.2 March 2022[296]
Marks & SpencerRetail  United KingdomMarks & Spencer has stopped shipments to its Russian franchise stores, and is donating £500 000 ($666,000, €605 000) to UNHCR.3 March 2022[297]
Zara (Inditex)Luxury clothing  SpainInditex, the owner of Zara, is temporarily closing all its shops in Russia and halting online sales.5 March 2022[298]
TJXRetail company  United StatesTJX sells its 25% stake in Russian clothing retailer Familia.4 March 2022[299]
PumaFashion retailer  GermanyPuma suspends operation of all its stores in Russia.5 March 2022[300]
PradaFashion retailer  ItalyPrada suspended retail operations in Russia.5 March 2022[301]
Reserved (LPP)Luxury clothing  PolandLPP, the owner of Reserved, suspended all of its business activities in Russia. The company has around 500 stores in Russia.4 March 2022[302]
Canada GooseClothing  CanadaCanada Goose suspended all wholesale and e-commerce sales in Russia.2 March 2022[303]
Levi Strauss & CoJeans  United StatesLevis suspended its Russian operations, including any new investments.6 March 2022[304]
RolexWatch   SwitzerlandRolex announced a halt of its exports to Russia.8 March 2022[305]
Victoria's SecretUnderwear  United StatesVictoria's Secret suspended its business in Russia.10 March 2022[306]
CrocsFootwear  United StatesCrocs pausing its direct-to-consumer business, inclusive of e-commerce and retail operations, in Russia. It will also pause the importation of goods into the country.2 March 2022[307]
Uniqlo (Fast Retailing)Clothing  JapanFast Retailing, the clothing giant that owns Uniqlo, announced that they will temporarily suspend their operations after some initial resistance. When asked about the possibility of closing Uniqlo in Russia, CEO Tadashi Yanai told Nikkei Asia "clothing is a necessity of life," and "the people of Russia have the same right to live as we do." The company later announced on 10 March said that operational challenges and a worsening of the conflict forced it to temporarily suspend operations.10 March 2022[308][309][310]

Other

CompanyIndustryCountryActionsDateRef.
IKEARetail  SwedenIKEA closed their 17 stores in Russia and halted sourcing materials from Russia and Belarus, but its 14 malls in Russia, branded "Mega", remain open. IKEA's decision to close their stores led to Russian consumers panic buying furniture and home appliances on the final day of the store's operations in the country.3 March 2022 (Furniture stores)[311][312]
JyskRetail  DenmarkJysk closed their stores in Russia.3 March 2022[313]
British LandLand leasing  United KingdomBritish Land will terminate its rental contract with Gazprom's global trading arm based in central London. Gazprom Marketing & Trading (GM&T) had occupied the top floors of 20 Triton Street in Regent's Park.7 March 2022[314]
Solvay S.A.Chemicals  BelgiumSolvay S.A. suspended operations or investment in the country.7 March 2022[315]
Fiskars GroupConsumer products  FinlandFiskars Group has decided to withdraw completely from the Russian market.7 March 2022[316]
KemiraChemicals  FinlandKemira discontinued deliveries to Russia and Belarus, primarily impacting pulp and paper customers in Russia.1 March 2022[317]
The Estée Lauder CompaniesCosmetics  United StatesEstée Lauder, manufacturer and marketer of skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products, announced on 7 March they have also decided to suspend all commercial activity in the country, closing every store they own and operate including their brand sites as well as ceasing shipments to any of their retailers in Russia. Later, they initially suspended the company's business investments and initiatives in Russia.7 March 2022[318]
Procter & GambleConglomerate  United StatesP&G is ending all new capital investments in Russia and "significantly reducing" its portfolio there.7 March 2022[319]
The Lego GroupToy maker  DenmarkThe Lego Group stopped deliveries of their products to Russia. Lego does not own stores in the country; 81 Russian Lego stores are owned and run by the local Inventive Retail Group, but they will not receive further shipments. The company meanwhile announced it will donate funds in collaboration with The LEGO Foundation and Ole Kirk's Fond to UNICEF, Save the Children, and the Danish Red Cross for $16.5 million.5 March 2022[320][321][202]
Horst Brandstätter GroupToy maker  GermanyThe Horst Brandstätter Group, the company behind Playmobil and Lechuza, announced that they halted sales and deliveries of these products to Russia.2 March 2022[202]
MattelToy maker  United StatesMattel, one of the largest toy makers in America, most notably creating products like Barbie, Hot Wheels and Polly Pocket among others, announced that they paused all shipments into Russia and contributed $1 million in toys and cash to support organizations on the front lines including Save the Children and Polish local charities SOS Children's Villages and Caritas Polska. the company also announced that they launching a special retailer sales program in Europe with 100% of the proceeds of key products to be donated to other charities in neighboring countries including Poland and Czech Republic.10 March 2022[322][202]
Moose ToysToy maker  United StatesMoose Toys announced that they will suspend distribution of toys to Russia and it will donating $100,000 to Save the Children and it also supporting Dream Doctors to sending clown doctors to the children of the Ukraine-Moldova border.28 February 2022[202]
YITConstruction  FinlandYIT, Finland's biggest construction company, discontinued construction material purchases from Russia and has halted investments in plots or start up new apartments in Russia.3 March 2022[323]
Metsä GroupForest products  FinlandMetsä Group has discontinued its operations in Russia. Wood procurement in Russia for the Svir sawmill and imports to Metsä Group's Finnish and Swedish mills has also been discontinued.10 March 2022[324]
Stora EnsoPaper and packaging  FinlandStora Enso, a provider of renewable products in packaging, biomaterials, wooden construction and paper, had stopped all production and sales in Russia and all export and import to and from Russia.8 March 2022[325]
UPMForest industry  FinlandUPM had ceased deliveries to Russia, but announced operations at its Russian sites continue. The company later announced they ill suspend purchasing of wood in and from Russia as well as the UPM Chudovo plywood mill operations for the time being.8 March 2022 (deliveries)
9 March 2022 (plywood mill operations)
[326][327]
UnileverConglomerate  United Kingdom
 Netherlands
Unilever suspends all investments, imports and exports into and out of Russia, but will continue to supply everyday essential food and hygiene products made in Russia to people in the country.9 March 2022[328]
L'OréalCosmetics  FranceL'Oréal, the world's largest cosmetics company, said it will temporarily close its stores, e-commerce sites, and directly operated department store counters in Russia.7 March 2022[329]
MothercareRetail  United KingdomMothercare suspends business in Russia.9 March 2022[330]
Imperial BrandsConglomerate  United KingdomImperial Brands, a tobacco company, halted production, sales and marketing of its products in Russia.9 March 2022[331]
Philip Morris InternationalTobacco  United StatesPhilip Morris International, a tobacco company which has 3,200 workers in Russia, suspends investments in Russia and scales back manufacturing, but is continuing to pay salaries to all its employees in Russia.9 March 2022[332]
ShopifyE-commerce  CanadaShopify had suspend Russian operations.9 March 2022[333]
Rio TintoMining  United Kingdom
 Australia
Rio Tinto is in the process of terminating all commercial relationships it has with any Russian business, but it did not immediately respond to questions on whether it would continue to buy Russian fuel and other products through non-Russian third parties.10 March 2022[334]
3MConglomerate  United States3M is suspending all of its business operations in Russia, where it operates at least one factory.10 March 2022[335]
Inglot CosmeticsCosmetics  PolandInglot Cosmetics announced it stopped shipments of its products to the company's stores in Russia and undertook legal measures to ban the use of the company's trademark across Russia.24 February 2022[336]
Tata SteelSteel  IndiaTata Steel said that its steel manufacturing sites in India, the UK and the Netherlands would sourced alternative supplies of raw materials to end its dependence on Russia.20 April 2022[337]

Services

CompanyIndustryCountryActionsDateRef.
White & CaseLaw firm  United StatesWhite & Case reviewed and ended Russian-related operations and clients.1 March 2022[338]
Baker McKenzieLaw firm  United StatesBaker McKenzie reviewed and ended Russian-related operations and clients.1 March 2022[338]
Morgan, Lewis & BockiusLaw firm  United StatesMorgan, Lewis & Bockius reviewed and ended Russian-related operations and clients.1 March 2022[338]
Sidley AustinLaw firm  United StatesSidley Austin terminated registrations to lobby in Washington for sanctioned financial institutions.1 March 2022[338]
Venable LLPLaw firm  United StatesVenable LLP terminated registrations to lobby in Washington for sanctioned financial institutions.1 March 2022[338]
The Big Four accounting firms, including:Accounting firm  United KingdomThe Big Four accounting firms reduced their activity in Russia. Consulting company KPMG ended some Russian client relationships. Ernst & Young (EY) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) separated their Russian firms from the global network. Deloitte, the largest member of the Big Four, separated their practices in Russia and Belarus and removed them from the global network, effectively ceasing Deloitte operations in these two countries. The Deloitte action has affected about 3,000 employees in the Russian and Belarusian firms.3 March 2022 (KPMG)
7 March 2022 (other firms)
[339]
[340]
[341]
[342]
[343]
AccentureTechnology consulting firm  IrelandAccenture discontinued all its Russian business affecting about 2,300 Russian employees.3 February 2022[344][345]
InfosysTechnology consulting firm  IndiaInfosys announced on that it would be moving its business out of Russia.13 April 2022[346]
Grant Thornton InternationalAccounting firm  United StatesGrant Thornton International announced its Russian member firm is leaving the network, noting it had done work for Gazprom and the Central Bank of Russia.2 March 2022[347]
AECOMEngineering firm  United StatesAECOM announced it will immediately exit from its Russia business.7 March 2022[348]
OneWebSatellite Internet access  United KingdomOneWeb suspended all launches from Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome and reviewed all projects involving Russian collaboration. This came after Russian Director of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, demanded OneWeb provide a guarantee that its satellites were not going to be used against Russia.3 March 2022[349]

Shipping and transport

CompanyIndustryCountryActionsDateRef.
United Parcel ServiceFreight courier  United StatesUPS announced they would halt shipments to Russia.27 February 2022[350]
DHLFreight courier  GermanyDHL announced they would halt shipments to Russia.27 February 2022
FedExFreight courier  United StatesFedEx announced they would halt shipments to Russia.27 February 2022[350]
MaerskContainer shipping  DenmarkMaersk, a Danish container shipping company, and one of the largest container shipping companies in the world, halted all container shipping to Russia, except for basic food products, medicine and humanitarian aid.1 March 2022[351]
Mediterranean Shipping CompanyContainer shipping   SwitzerlandMSC, a Swiss container shipping company, and one of the largest container shipping companies in the world, halted all container shipping to Russia, except for basic food products, medicine and humanitarian aid.1 March 2022[351]
CMA CGMContainer shipping  FranceCMA CGM, a French container shipping company, and one of the largest container shipping companies in the world, halted all container shipping to Russia, except for basic food products, medicine and humanitarian aid.1 March 2022[352]
Hapag-LloydContainer shipping  GermanyHapag-Lloyd, a German container shipping company, and one of the largest container shipping companies in the world, halted all container shipping to Russia, except for basic food products, medicine and humanitarian aid.1 March 2022[352]
Ocean Network ExpressContainer shipping  JapanONE, a Japanese container shipping company, and one of the largest container shipping companies in the world, halted all container shipping to Russia, except for basic food products, medicine and humanitarian aid.1 March 2022[352]
FinnlinesShipping operator  FinlandFinnlines, a Finnish shipping operator of ro-ro and passenger services, suspends its services to and from Russia.9 March 2022[353]

Aviation

CompanyIndustryCountryActionsDateRef.
AirbusAircraft manufacturing  NetherlandsAirbus suspended support for Russian airlines, and suspended services provided by the Airbus Engineering Centre in Russia.2 March 2022[354]
BoeingAircraft manufacturing  United StatesBoeing announced it had suspended 'major operations' in Russia, including support for Russian airlines. It has also suspended buying titanium from Russia.7 March 2022[354][355]
Delta Air LinesAirline  United StatesDelta Air Lines suspended its codeshare agreement with Russian flag carrier Aeroflot.25 February 2022[356]
Alaska AirlinesAirline  United StatesAlaska Airlines suspended its mileage partnership with S7 Airlines, and interline relationships with Aeroflot and S7 Airlines.1 March 2022[357]
EmbraerAircraft manufacturing  BrazilEmbraer announced the halting of supply of parts and aircraft to Russia.3 March 2022[358]
Sabre CorporationTravel technology  United StatesSabre Corporation terminated its agreement with Aeroflot.3 March 2022[359]
Amadeus CRSTravel technology  SpainAmadeus CRS suspended Russian state-backed airlines, including Aeroflot and S7 Airlines.3 March 2022[360]
Avia Solutions GroupAircraft manufacturing  CyprusAvia Solutions Group suspended all operations in Russia.4 March 2022[181]

Space

Continued international collaboration on missions to the International Space Station (ISS) has been thrown into doubt.[361]

A petition to withdraw international support from Russian satellite navigation system GLONASS and boycott the platform has been proposed by Polish engineer Daniel Kucharski from University of Texas at Austin and signed by tens of thousands of individuals. It is now being considered by ILRS.[362]

Sports

Full boycotts
OrganisationRoleCountryActionsDateRef.
International Olympic CommitteeSports competition governing bodyWorldwideThe IOC called upon international sporting federations to either move or cancel any sports events planned in Russia or Belarus. It recommended sports federations and organisers not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions.25 February 2022[363]
[364]
[365]
International Paralympics CommitteeSports competition governing bodyWorldwideThe IPC banned Russian and Belarusian para-athletes from the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing, following threats of boycotts by other nations.3 March 2022[366]
GovernmentsGovernments  United States
 Canada
 Japan
 Australia
 New Zealand
Europe
Government officials from 37 countries signed a joint statement asking sports federations to ban Russian athletes and teams from competing in other countries, supporting the position by the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympics Committee. Signatories include United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and multiple European countries.8 March 2022[367]
[368]
Sports governing bodies, including:Sports governing bodyWorldwideThe WAF, World Athletics, the IBU, the UCI, the BWF, the ICF, the IHF, the UPIM, World Rowing, the ISA, World Sailing, the ISSF, the ISU, the ITTF, World Triathlon, the IWF, United World Wrestling, the IBSF, the ILF and the FIG banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in their events, in line with the IOC's recommendation.26 February 2022 (FIG and UCI)
28 February 2022 (UPIM)
1 March 2022 (World Rowing, World Sailing, ICF, BWF and ISA) 2 March 2022 (United World Wrestling and World Athletics)
3 March 2022 (IWF, ISU, and WAF)
[369]
[370]
[371]
[372]
[373]
[374]
[375]
[376]
[377]
[378]
[379]
[380]
[381]
[382]
All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC)

Lawn Tennis Association (LTA)

Tennis governing body  United KingdomRussian and Belarusian athletes were banned from participating in the 2022 Wimbledon Championships and other tennis events in the United Kingdom. This was despite the worldwide governing bodies allowing athletes to play under a neutral flag. In retaliation for the unilateral decision, the bodies stripped ranking points from the Wimbledon tournament and levied fines against both organisations. A decision is yet to be made as to whether this ban will continue into the 2023 tournament.[383]20 April 2022[384]
Estonian Tennis AssociationTennis governing body  EstoniaThe Estonian Government, and Estonian Tennis Association banned Russian and Belarusian players from entering tennis tournaments in the country. This affected the 2022 Tallinn Open, as well as a number of smaller ITF tournaments.18 July 2022[385]
World SkateRoller sports governing bodyWorldwideWorld Skate banned all Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from participating in competitions sanctioned by World Skate. Before the ban, World Skate initially allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals.2 April 2022[386]
International Federation of Sport Climbing (ISFC)Sport climbing governing bodyWorldwideThe IFSC banned all Russian and Belarusian climbers from competing in IFSC competitions until further notice. Furthermore, it stripped Russian city Moscow from hosting one of the events at the 2022 IFSC Climbing World Cup.1 March 2022[387]
Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB)Volleyball governing bodyWorldwideThe FIVB declared all Russian and Belarusian club and national teams won't be eligible to compete in FIVB competitions until further notice. Furthermore, FIVB stripped Russia of its hosting rights of the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship.1 March 2022[388]
European Volleyball Confederation (CEV)Volleyball governing bodyEuropeThe CEV declared all Russian and Belarusian club and national teams won't be eligible to compete in CEV competitions until further notice.1 March 2022[389]
World RugbyRugby governing bodyWorldwideWorld Rugby banned all Russian and Belarusian national and club teams from its competitions and suspended Both of the countries memberships indefinitely.3 March 2022[390]
Rugby EuropeRugby governing bodyEuropeRugby Europe banned all Russian and Belarusian national and club teams from its competitions and suspended Both of the countries memberships indefinitely.3 March 2022[390]
International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF)Ice Hockey governing bodyWorldwideThe IIHF suspended all Russian and Belarusian national and club teams from its competitions and stripped Russia of hosting rights for both the 2023 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and the 2023 IIHF World Championship.3 March 2022 & 26 April 2022[365][391]
[392]
World Curling Federation (WCF)Curling governing bodyWorldwideThe WCF proposed a rule to ban Russian athletes and moved the 2022 European Curling Championships away from Perm.28 February 2022[393]
International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI)Equestrian governing bodyWorldwideThe FEI removed all events from Russia and Belarus and an indefinite ban on participation by Russian and Belarusian athletes, horses, and officials in FEI events.28 February 2022 (events)
2 March 2022 (Athletes, Horses & Officials ban)
[394]
[395]
Fédération Internationale d'Escrime (FIE)Fencing governing bodyWorldwideThe FIE, which governs fencing, banned all Russian and Belarusian athletes. Ukraine pulled out of the 2022 Fencing World Cup to avoid facing Russia.4 March 2022[396]
[397]
World TaekwondoTaekwondo governing bodyWorldwideWorld Taekwondo banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing at its events and will no longer organise or recognise events in Russia and Belarus. Furthermore, it stripped Vladimir Putin of the honorary black belt given to him in 2013.2 March 2022 (stripping of Putin's honorary black belt)
3 March 2022 (athletes ban and hosting of events)
[398]
[399]
The R&AGolf governing body  Canada
South America (excluding Mexico)
Europe
Asia
The R&A, which governs golf outside the U.S. and Mexico, announced it would decline applications from Russian and Belarusian golfers for scheduled events.4 March 2022[400]
International World Games AssociationSports competition governing bodyWorldwideThe IWGA banned Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from participating in the 2022 World Games.1 March 2022[401]
FINA (World Aquatics)Swimming governing bodyWorldwideOn 25 February, FINA, the international governing body for aquatic sports, removed the FINA Water Polo World League match between Russia and Greece scheduled to take place in Saint Petersburg on 8 March from the calendar, as well as cancelled a 2022 FINA Diving World Series event and a 2022 FINA Artistic Swimming World Series event, scheduled to be the first ever joint event between the two World Series to take place in Kazan in April. It withdrew the FINA Order awarded to Vladimir Putin in 2014 on 1 March 2022, the same day it announced athletes and officials from both Belarus and Russia would not be allowed to compete using their country's name, colours, nor anthem at any FINA events indefinitely. The 2022 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships scheduled for August in Kazan was initially cancelled before being announced it would change host. On 8 March, FINA implemented a protocol for individual review of athletes deemed to be of concern for the safety and well-being of participants at its competitions. On 23 March, FINA later banned all Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from taking part at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships and withdrew the 2022 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) from being held in Kazan. Furthermore, it opened a disciplinary procedure against Russian swimmer Evgeny Rylov for his alleged participation in the 2022 Moscow rally. On 20 April 2022, FINA suspended Rylov from FINA competitions and activities for nine months and banned all Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from all FINA events through the end of 2022. On 5 April 2023, it announced the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes from its competitions was in effect indefinitely.25 February 2022 (scheduled events)
1 March 2022 (stripping of Putin's FINA Order award)
8 March 2022 (individual athlete review protocol)
23 March 2022 (athletes and officials ban and the withdrawal of 2022 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) hosting)
20 April 2022 (individual athlete suspension, athletes and officials ban)
5 April 2023 (athletes ban extended from 2022)
[402]
[403]
[404]
[405]
[406]
[407]
[408]
[409]
LENSwimming governing bodyEuropeLEN, the governing body for aquatic sports in Europe, banned all athletes and officials from Russia and Belarus from taking part in their competitions, as well as announced withholding LEN events from taking place in either country.3 March 2022[410]
British CyclingCycling governing body  United KingdomRussian and Belarusian cyclists were banned from all events in the United Kingdom by British Cycling.3 March 2022[411]
Royal Dutch Skating Federation [nl] (KNSB)Skating governing body  NetherlandsRussian and Belarusian skaters were banned from all events organized by the KNSB.28 February 2022[412]
Royal Dutch Cycling Union (KNWU)Cycling governing body  NetherlandsRussian and Belarusian cyclists were banned from all events in the Netherlands by the RDCU.2 March 2022[413]
Partial boycotts
OrganisationRoleCountryActionsDateRef.
UEFAAssociation football governing bodyEuropeUEFA, the European governing body for football, decided to relocate the Champions League final from Saint Petersburg to Saint-Denis, France, after a meeting of the body's executive committee. The national football teams of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Sweden refused to play against Russia. On 28 February, after criticism for its decision and a prospect of boycotts by multiple countries, UEFA went further and indefinitely suspended Russian teams from playing international football. On 4 March, Russia appealed suspensions by UEFA to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. However, on 15 March, the appeal for the UEFA suspension was later upheld.15 March 2022 (official suspension)[414]
[415]
[416]
[417]
[418]
FIFAAssociation football governing bodyWorldwideOn 27 February, FIFA announced that Russian teams would have to play as "Football Union of Russia", without flags or anthems; moreover, any "home" games would be played at a neutral site without fans. On 28 February, after criticism for its decision and a prospect of boycotts by multiple countries, FIFA went further and indefinitely suspended Russian teams from playing international football. On 4 March, Russia appealed suspensions by FIFA to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. However, on 18 March, the appeal for the FIFA suspension was later upheld.18 March 2022 (official suspension)[419]
[417][420]
[418][421]
Formula OneMotorsport leagueWorldwideFormula One called off the 2022 Russian Grand Prix, with world champions Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen calling it "wrong" to race in the country. It also cancelled its contract with the promoter for races in Russia, which ran through 2025.3 March 2022 (removal of Russian GP)[422]
[423]
[424]
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)Motorsport governing bodyWorldwideThe FIA announced that while Russian and Belarusian teams were banned from competing, Russian and Belarusian drivers are still allowed to compete under a neutral flag, while releasing a series of guidelines.2 March 2022[425]
[426]
Motorsport UKMotorsport governing body  United KingdomMotorsport UK barred Russian and Belarusian drivers from competing in British motorsport events, including the upcoming British Grand Prix in July.2 March 2022[427]
Haas F1 TeamRacing team  United StatesThe Haas F1 Team ended their sponsorship agreements with Russian chemical company Uralkali, and the team terminated the contract of their Russian driver Nikita Mazepin, getting replaced by Kevin Magnussen.5 March 2022[428]
Hitech Grand PrixRacing team  United KingdomF1 support series team Hitech Grand Prix ended their sponsorship agreement with Russian chemical company Uralkali.11 March 2022[429]
International Judo FederationJudo governing bodyWorldwideThe IJF suspended President Putin's status as "Honorary President and Ambassador of the International Judo Federation" on 27 February. It also cancelled all judo competitions in Russia on 7 March. Russian athletes would be allowed to participate in IJF events only under the IJF flag, logo and anthem. Then, on 2 March, the IJF removed Putin and Russian billionaire Arkady Rotenberg, the development manager of the IJF Executive Committee, from all positions.27 February 2022 (suspension of Putin's "Honorary President and Ambassador" status)
2 March 2022 (cancelation of judo competitions)
7 March 2022 (resignation of Rotenberg as development manager of the IJF Executive Committee)
[430]
[431]
[432]
National Hockey LeagueHockey leagueNorth AmericaThe NHL announced that it was suspending all Russian business relationships, pausing Russian language websites, and would not host future competitions in Russia. Russian players are still allowed to play.28 February 2022[433]
JokeritHockey team  FinlandJokerit withdrew from the 2021–2022 playoffs in Russia's top-tier Kontinental Hockey League, and then from the league entirely.28 February 2022[434]
[435]
Dinamo RigaHockey team  LatviaDinamo Riga withdrew from Russia's top-tier Kontinental Hockey League.28 February 2022[436]
International Hockey Federation (FIH)Hockey governing bodyWorldwideThe FIH, which governs field hockey, decided to exclude Russia from the 2022 Women's FIH Hockey Junior World Cup in South Africa.3 March 2022[437]
International Chess Federation (FIDE)Chess governing bodyWorldwideThe FIDE banned Russian and Belarusian flags from international chess events, ended sponsorships with Russian and Belarusian sanctioned companies, and opened bids to other countries to host the 44th Chess Olympiad. Furthermore, it suspended Anatoly Karpov's title of FIDE Ambassador for Life.3 March 2022[438]
International Go Federation (IGF)Go tournament governing bodyWorldwideThe IGF banned Russian and Belarusian players from competing under their flags in IGF hosted events, while urging its members to relocate or cancel their events currently planned in Russia or Belarus.11 March 2022[439]
European Go Federation (EGF)Go tournament governing bodyEuropeThe EGF suspended Russia's membership in the organization, cancelled or relocated events planned in Russia; and banned the display of Russian national symbols, flags or anthems in EGF organized events.6 March 2022[440]
FC Schalke 04Soccer team  GermanyFC Schalke 04 ended its sponsorship deal with Russian state-controlled oil and gas company Gazprom.28 February 2022[441]
Euroleague BasketballBasketball leagueEuropeThe Euroleague Basketball suspended participation of Russian teams CSKA Moscow, UNICS Kazan, and Zenit Saint Petersburg in the 2021–2022 EuroLeague and of Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar from the 2021–2022 EuroCup.3 March 2022[442]
FIBABasketball governing bodyWorldwideFIBA, the international governing body for basketball, suspended participation of Russian national teams and officials in FIBA basketball and 3x3 basketball competitions until further notice. The Russian national team was expelled from the 2022 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup. And FIBA Europe suspended Russian teams UMMC Ekaterinburg, Dynamo Kursk and MBA Moscow from the playoffs of EuroLeague Women and Russian team BC Avtodor from 2021–22 FIBA Europe Cup.3 March 2022[443]
AusCyclingCycling organization  AustraliaAusCycling announced a ban on Russian or Belarusian teams at the 2022 UCI Road World Championships to be held in Australia in September.1 March 2022[444]
International Ski Federation (FIS)Ski sport governing bodyWorldwideThe FIS cancelled all skiing events in Russia.25 February 2022[445]
Norwegian Ski Federation (Skiing-Norway)Ski sport governing body  Norwaythe Norwegian Ski Federation told Russian athletes "we do not want your participation" in its upcoming events.26 February 2022[446]
World Karate FederationKarate governing bodyWorldwideThe WKF relocated the 2022 Karate1 Premier League away from Moscow.3 March 2022[447]
World Squash FederationSquash governing bodyWorldwideThe WSF relocated the 2022 World Junior Squash Championships away from Saint Petersburg.25 February 2022[448]
European Handball FederationHandball governing bodyEuropeThe EHF suspended participation of Russian and Belarusian national and club teams from its competitions.5 March 2022[449]
Special OlympicsNon-profit organization  United StatesThe 2022 Special Olympics World Winter Games scheduled to take place in Kazan, Russia, were cancelled.4 March 2022[450]
International University Sports Federation (FISU)University sports governing bodyWorldwideThe FISU withdrew three competitions from Russia and Belarus.26 February 2022[451]
International Tennis Federation (ITF)Tennis governing bodyWorldwideThe ITF suspended the Russian Tennis Federation and Belarus Tennis Federation from ITF membership and participation in ITF international team competitions.1 March 2022[452]
Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP)

Women's Tennis Association (WTA)

Tennis governing bodyWorldwideBoth the men's and women's tennis associations suspended tournaments in Russia and Belarus. While neither association has banned Russian and Belarusian players from participating in other tournaments, they are required to compete under a neutral flag. In country-focused events, such as the United Cup, Russian and Belarusian players were not allowed to participate.1 March 2022[453]
International Sambo Federation (FIAS)Sambo governing bodyWorldwideThe FIAS suspended international sambo competitions in Russia and Belarus. Russian and Belarusian athletes may participate in FIAS international competitions under the FIAS flag, logo, and anthem.3 March 2022[454]
International Federation of BodyBuilding and FitnessBodybuilding sport governing bodyWorldwideThe IFBB bans all Russian and Belarusian athletes, but allows IFBB Elite Pro athletes to continue in participation of events.9 March 2022[455]
Boston Athletic AssociationNon-profit association  United StatesThe B.A.A. announced that all Russian and Belarusian athletes will be banned from the 2022 Boston Marathon and all other B.A.A. events.6 April 2022[456]
Broadcasting rights
  • The English Premier League announced that they will cancel its broadcast rights with Russian television network Match which supposed to be started in the 2022/23 season, its current broadcaster Okko Sport will end the rights to the league earlier.[457]

Technology

CompanyIndustryCountryActionsDateRef.
Apple Inc.Electronics  United StatesApple stopped selling products in Russia. This also includes the suspension of Apple Pay.2 March 2022[458]
Oracle CorporationCloud computing  United StatesOracle suspended all operations in Russia.2 March 2022[459]
SAPCloud computing  GermanySAP paused sales in Russia.2 March 2022[459]
EricssonTelecommunications  SwedenEricsson suspended all deliveries and operations in Russia.3 March 2022 (deliveries), 11 April 2022 (operations)[460][461]
SnapchatSocial media platform  United StatesSnapchat stopped running ads in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine and halts ad sales.3 March 2022 (ad sales only)[462]
TikTokSocial media service  ChinaTikTok had restricted access to Russian state media accounts in the European Union.28 February 2022[156]
RedditSocial media platform  United StatesReddit prohibited links to Russian state media and rejected any advertisement from any Russian-based entity, government or private.2 March 2022[463]
NamecheapDomain registrar  United StatesDomain registrar and hosting provider Namecheap terminated its service to all Russian customers, requiring users to switch providers by 22 March 2022. Namecheap allowed exceptions for "all anti-regime media, protest resources, and any type of websites that are helping to end this war and regime".1 March 2022[464]
GoDaddyDomain registrar  United StatesGoDaddy stopped supporting new registrations for the .ru extension. Registrants are also unable to sell or transfer existing domains to any party for profit.2 March 2022[465]
UberTransportation service  United StatesUber distanced itself from the Russian company Yandex.Taxi by ending its partnership agreement and three Uber executives resigned from its board. Uber agreed to allow Yandex to purchase its 29% stake in the company.28 February 2022[466]
DuckDuckGoSearch engine  United StatesDuckDuckGo paused its partnership with Yandex Search.1 March 2022[467]
RakutenConglomerate  JapanRakuten removed Russian ads from its messaging app Viber.3 March 2022 (Viber ads only)[468]
MicrosoftSoftware maker  United StatesMicrosoft suspended new sales of its products and services on 4 March. Later it was announced that the company would donate the sales of Epic Games' Fortnite on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S from March 20 to April 3 to humanitarian relief organizations working in Ukraine.4 March 2022[469][202]
CiscoCloud computing  United StatesCisco suspended all deliveries to Russia and Belarus.3 March 2022[470]
Samsung ElectronicsElectronics  South KoreaSamsung suspended shipments to Russia and is donating $6 million to aid refugees and to other humanitarian relief efforts. Samsung Pay is also suspended in Russia.4 March 2022[471]
LG ElectronicsElectronics  South KoreaLG Electronics, a South Korean technology company, operates a TV and home electronics plant in Ruza, Russia, and has said that it has enough inventory of raw materials and components in Russia for the production of their products there. It announced on 19 March 2022 that it is suspending all shipments to Russia.19 March 2022[472][473]
PanasonicElectronics  JapanPanasonic suspended shipments and ended operations, while donating ¥20 million in aid to Ukrainian refugees under the Polish Red Cross.4 March 2022[474]
MetaSocial Media platform  United StatesMeta's Facebook and Instagram stopped displaying RT and Sputnik accounts in EU member states.3 March 2022[475]
TwitterSocial Media platform  United StatesTwitter stopped displaying RT and Sputnik accounts in EU member states.3 March 2022[475]
GoogleSearch engine  United StatesGoogle suspended its ad business on 4 March in response to the Russian government's ultimatum to "stop advertising anti-Russian propaganda". Then, on 11 March, YouTube said that its immediately blocking access around the world to channels associated with Russian state-funded media, citing a policy barring content that denies, minimizes or trivializes well-documented violent events. On 18 May 2022, Google Russia filed for bankruptcy, though the company will keep its free services, such as its search engine and YouTube, available in Russia.4 March 2022 (ad business)
11 March 2022 (YouTube)
[476][149][477]
Adobe Inc.Software  United StatesAdobe suspended new software service and newly subscription sales.4 March 2022[478]
DJIUAV  ChinaPaused the sales of its drones and issued a statement to condemn the use of its products that will cause harm.26 April 2022[479]
DellElectronics  United StatesDell paused sales of all its PCs.1 March 2022[480]
HP Inc.Electronics  United StatesHP suspends shipment of its products to Russia.March 2022[481]
TSMCSemiconductors  TaiwanTSMC halted sales to Russia and third parties that supplied to Russia. Russian companies that design their own chips such as Baikal CPU, MCST, Yadro and STC Module are manufactured by TSMC, which cut off Russia's access to semiconductors.25 February 2022[482]
GlobalFoundriesSemiconductors  United StatesGlobalFoundries halted sales to Russia and third parties that supplied to Russia.25 February 2022[482]
IntelSemiconductors  United StatesIntel halted sales to Russia and third parties that supplied to Russia.28 February 2022[482][483]
Advanced Micro DevicesSemiconductors  United StatesAMD halted sales to Russia and third parties that supplied to Russia.28 February 2022[482][483]
Yamaha CorporationAudio equipment  JapanYamaha Corporation suspended exports and paused operations.4 March 2022[484]
JCBHeavy equipment  United KingdomJCB paused all operations, including the export of machines and spare parts.3 March 2022[485]
KONEElevator and escalator manufacturer  FinlandKONE, ceased deliveries to Russia, and stopped signing new orders from Russia for the time being. The company made a donation for Ukraine through the Finnish Red Cross.3 March 2022[486]
NokiaConglomerate  FinlandNokia stopped deliveries to Russia and exited the market altogether soon afterwards.1 March 2022 (deliveries), 12 April 2022 (operations)[487][488]
Web SummitConference event  PortugalWeb Summit banned all Russian government members, agencies, state-controlled media, state-backed businesses, and companies with ties to the Russian government from participating at its conferences.4 March 2022[489]
SiemensIndustrial manufacturing  GermanySiemens withdrew from most of its business in Russia.March 2022[490][491]
WärtsiläPower sources  FinlandWärtsilä, a Finnish company which manufactures and services power sources and other equipment in the marine and energy markets, has suspended all deliveries and new sales to Russia.March 2022[492]
PonsseForest machines  FinlandPonsse, a Finnish company that manufactures, sells and maintains forest machine, discontinues temporarily all export operations to Russia and Belarus, including local spare parts and service operations.7 March 2022[493]
UpworkFreelancing platform  United StatesUpwork is suspending all operations in Russia and Belarus, with a complete shut down to take effect by 1 May.7 March 2022 (operations)
1 May 2022(complete shut down)
[494]
Clutch.coRatings and reviews platform  United StatesClutch.co, the leading ratings and reviews platform for IT, Marketing, and Business service providers, suspended all business activity in Russia and Belarus.11 March 2022[495]
IBMConglomerate  United StatesIBM suspended all business in Russia.7 March 2022[496]
Cogent CommunicationsInternet backbone provider  United StatesCogent Communications disconnected all connections to Russia.4 March 2022[497]
Lumen TechnologiesInternet backbone provider  United StatesLumen Technologies disconnected all connections to Russia.9 March 2022[498]
AlstomTrain maker  FranceAlstom will suspend all deliveries towards Russia and all future business investments in Russia.9 March 2022[499]
RicohPrinters  JapanRicoh had suspended business in Russia.March 2022[500]
Canon Inc.Printers  JapanCanon had suspended business in Russia.March 2022[500]
EpsonPrinters  JapanEpson had suspended business in Russia.March 2022[500]
Konica MinoltaPrinters  JapanKonica Minolta had suspended business in Russia.March 2022[500]
AmazonConglomerate  United StatesAmazon ceased shipping of products in Russia and Belarus. They removed Amazon Prime Video access in Russia. They are not accepting customers based in Russia or Belarus for Amazon Web Services and Amazon third-party sellers.9 March 2022[501]
Deere & CompanyHeavy equipment  United StatesDeere & Company had ended shipments to Russia and Belarus.1 March 2022[333]
Caterpillar Inc.Conglomerate  United StatesCaterpillar, an American corporation that sells machinery, engines, generator sets and financial products, are suspending operations in their Russian manufacturing facilities.March 2022[502]
Red HatEnterprise Linux provider  United StatesRed Hat suspended sales in Russia.9 March 2022[503]
SUSEEnterprise Linux provider  GermanySUSE suspended sales in Russia.9 March 2022[503]
HitachiElectronics  JapanHitachi is pausing exports to Russia and suspending all manufacturing in the country, with the exception of products, services and support for electrical power equipment.2 March 2022[307]
General ElectricConglomerate  United StatesGE has suspended most of its operations in Russia, with the exception of providing essential medical equipment and supporting existing power services.2 March 2022[307]
NetAppCloud computing  United StatesNetApp suspended all operations in Russia.10 March 2022[504]
HoneywellConglomerate  United StatesHoneywell suspended business in both Russia and Belarus.9 March 2022[505]
AutodeskSoftware  United StatesAutodesk suspended operations in Russia.4 March 2022[506]
MongoDB Inc.Software  United StatesMongoDB, the NoSQL provider terminated accounts registered in Russia and Belarus.15 March 2022[507]
HostingerHosting provider  LithuaniaHostinger suspended all payments from Russia and Belarus.4 March 2022[181]
TeradataSoftware  United StatesTeradata, a software company that provides database and analytics-related software, products, and services stopped conducting business in Russia and has ceased customer interactions and services with all Russian accounts.24 March 2022[508]
Telia LietuvaInternet and Cable provider  LithuaniaTelia Lietuva stopped broadcasting Russian TV channels from its cable television service.4 March 2022[181]
CgatesInternet and Cable provider  LithuaniaCgates stopped broadcasting Russian TV channels from its cable television service.4 March 2022[181]
SpliusInternet and Cable provider  LithuaniaSplius stopped broadcasting Russian TV channels from its cable television service.4 March 2022[181]
AsusHardware manufacturer  TaiwanStopped exports to Russia.14 March 2022[509][510]

Tourism and hospitality

CompanyIndustryCountryActionsDateRef.
Delta Air LinesAirline  United StatesDelta Air Lines suspended its code sharing partnership with Russian airliner Aeroflot.25 February 2022[356]
Alaska AirlinesAirline  United StatesAlaska Airlines suspended its mileage partnership with S7 Airlines, and interline relationships with Aeroflot and S7 Airlines.1 March 2022[357]
AirBalticAirline  LatviaAirBaltic, Latvia's flag carrier had suspended all flights to and from the Russian market.5 March 2022[511]
Air AstanaAirline  KazakhstanAir Asatna, Kazakhstan's flag carrier had suspended all flights to and from the Russian market.11 March 2022[512]
Pegasus AirlinesAirline  TurkeyPegasus Airlines, one of Turkey's commercial airlines, had suspended all flights to and from the Russian market.

As of August 2023, Pegasus Airlines have resumed daily flights to Moscow and Saint Petersburg over European airspace into Russian airspace.

11 March 2022[512][513][514]
Wizz AirAirline  HungaryWizz Air 'temporarily suspended' all flights from and to Russia.1 March 2022[515]
AirbnbHospitality  United StatesAirbnb suspended all operations in Russia and Belarus.4 March 2022[516]
Booking HoldingsTravel website holding  United StatesBooking Holdings, the operator of Priceline, Booking, Agoda, Kayak and Opentable, suspended all operations in Russia and travel services in Belarus.4 March 2022[517]
GetYourGuideTravel agency  GermanyGetYourGuide stopped offering experiences in Russia.2 March 2022[518]
Hilton WorldwideHospitality  United StatesHilton, an American hospitality company with 29 locations in Russia, is suspending all new developmental activity in Russia and have closed their corporate office in Moscow.9 March 2022[519]
HyattHospitality  United StatesHyatt, a hospitality company with 6 locations in Russia, is halting development in Russia and new investments, but it continues to evaluate hotel operations in Russia.10 March 2022[520]
InterContinental Hotels GroupHospitality  United KingdomInterContinental Hotels Group, a British hotel operator with 29 hotels in Russia, suspended its investments in Russia on 10 March 2022. However, they are still actively taking bookings and there is a new Crowne Plaza opening in Moscow in June. On 27 June, IHG suspended all operations in Russia.10 March 2022 (investments only)
27 June 2022 (full operations)
[521][522]
Marriott InternationalHospitality  United StatesMarriott, a hospitality company with 10 locations in Russia, has closed its corporate office in Moscow, and paused the opening of upcoming hotels and all future hotel development and investment in Russia. However, it says their hotels in Russia are owned by third parties and they continue to evaluate the ability for these hotels to remain open.10 March 2022[520]
Expedia GroupTravel website holding  United StatesExpedia Group, operator of trivago, Orbitz, Travelocity, Hotwire.com, Tripadvisor, and Hotels.com had ceased sales to and from Russia.2 March 2022[523][518]
Rick StevesTravel expert  United StatesRick Steves and his company Rick Steves Europe cancelled 2022 tours which include stops to Russia.28 February 2022[518]
smarToursTravel agency  United StatessmarTours cancelled its Russia itineraries.4 March 2022[518]
eDreams ODIGEOTravel website  SpaineDreams ODIGEO shuts down its Russian website on 28 February, with Russian and Belarussian airlines removed from its inventory. Later on 4 March, the company stopped offering hotel bookings in conjunction with Booking Holdings.28 February 2022 (website)
4 March 2022 (Hotel bookings)
[518]
G AdventuresTravel agency  CanadaG Adventures and its company founder Bruce Poon Tip announced that the tour operator has cancelled all tours in Russia and travellers booked on forward departures will be refunded.2 March 2022[518]
Kensington ToursTravel agency  CanadaKensignton Tours is not accepting bookings for trips scheduled for Russia and Ukraine throughout 2022, and has decided to move these trips to future dates.4 March 2022[518]
TauckCruise ships  United StatesTauck announced that all 2022 departures of its Russian Glories, Baltic Treasures tour have been cancelled. That itinerary included Lithuania and Latvia, plus Finnish capital Helsinki and Russian cities St. Petersburg and Moscow. Also, Tauck has removed St. Petersburg as a call in its St. Petersburg & the Baltic Sea small-ship cruise itinerary.4 March 2022[518]
The Travel CorporationTravel agency  United StatesThe Travel Corporation, operator of Trafalgar Tours, said that it will not be operating Russia tours in 2022.4 March 2022[518]

Other

Airspace closures

  Russia
  Ukraine – closed its airspace to Russia in 2015
  Countries that have banned Russian aircraft from their airspace in response to the invasion

By 5 March 2022, the following countries and territories had completely closed their airspace to all Russian airlines and Russian-registered private jets:[524][525][526][527]

The European Union had already banned all Belarusian aircraft from EU airspace in June 2021 in response to the forced landing of Ryanair Flight 4978.[528][529]

As well, airlines from many other countries have diverted their flights away from Russian airspace, despite not being banned by Russia or not slapping a ban on Russian aircraft. This includes:

Breaking of diplomatic relations

Both Ukraine and the Federated States of Micronesia[530] indefinitely severed all diplomatic ties with Russia.

Controversy

Criticism

Critics of the boycott and sanctions have predicted that they would not cause significant changes in the Russian government's policy. Patrick Cockburn argued that sanctions similar to those used against Iraq will cause widespread poverty and claim more lives than the use of military force.[531] Others have supported the cultural boycott but called for economic coercion to be narrowly targeted.[532][533] Some critics noted that the decision of major credit card companies to suspend their operations in Russia will affect any Russian who has taken out a credit card in their home country, including those who have protested against the war in Ukraine, who are trying to flee Russia or are now living abroad.[534][535]

Activists in Russia believe that amid lost access to financial and educational institutions, Putin will be better able to paint Western countries as the enemy.[536] Carnegie Moscow Center scholar Andrey Movchan wrote that sanctions aimed at ordinary Russians could be "exactly what the Kremlin wants – that tens of millions of Russians who oppose the regime will be unable to leave the country and even temporarily find themselves in a world free of Russian propaganda," stating that sanctions should instead "uncompromisingly block the Kremlin's access to its financial and technological resources."[537]

Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince stated that "if Cloudflare were to stop operating in Russia, the Russian government would celebrate us shutting down" because "indiscriminately terminating service would do little to harm the Russian government, but would both limit access to information outside the country, and make significantly more vulnerable those who have used us to shield themselves as they have criticized the government".[538]

Regarding the cultural boycott, Patrick West wrote that many parts had become a vehicle for Russophobia, notably an incident in which the University of Milano-Bicocca in Italy considered cancelling a course on Dostoyevski but ultimately did not.[539] A decision by the Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra to cancel a planned performance of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture was met with similar controversy.[540] One of the directors stated that continuing with the original concert would have been offensive due to the themes of Russian military pride and not simply because Tchaikovsky was Russian.[541] Discussing these issues, the communications coordinator for Diem25 expressed regret that Netflix was suspending its adaptation of Anna Karenina due to the involvement of a Russian production company.[542]

Some critics have argued that Western companies and sports organizations such as FIFA and the IOC have acted hypocritically by boycotting Russia but not the United States for the actions of the U.S. military during the Iraq War,[543] China for the persecution of Uyghurs in China,[544][545] or Qatar and Saudi Arabia for human rights violations and military intervention in Yemen.[546][547] Business professor Stanislav Markus has suggested that boycotts of Russia might expand to include more countries as the companies involved become increasingly comfortable with deglobalisation.[545]

Polling within Russia and Belarus

In April 2022, only 11% of Belarusians supported sending Belarusian troops to Ukraine.[548] A study performed by Chatham House in May 2022 revealed that 32% of Belarusian respondents supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine and 40% did not support the invasion.[549]

A Kremlin-associated poll claimed that the 68% of the Russian population approves of the "special military operation" in Ukraine while independent polls put that number at 58%.[550][551][552] The Kremlin-associated poll, which was conducted between February 28 and March 6, claimed that Putin's approval rating was 74.6%.[553] According to the poll, in the group of 18-to-24-year-olds, only 29% Russians supported the "special military operation" in Ukraine.[551] Two reasons many Russians still support Putin and the "special military operation" in Ukraine has to do with the propaganda and disinformation being sown by the Kremlin,[554] and the antagonization and discrimination by Western populations/institutions of Russian people.[555][556] Some Russians publicly displayed the infamous "Z" letter.[557][558] Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak displayed it while standing on a victory podium near a Ukrainian athlete and later expressed no regret for doing that.[559] More than 200,000 attended Vladimir Putin's pro-war nationalist rally at the Luzhniki Stadium on 18 March,[560] with many forced by their employers to attend.[561]

A series of four online polls of Moscow residents by Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation claimed that between February 25 and March 3, the share of respondents in Moscow who considered Russia an "aggressor" increased from 29% to 53%, while the share of those who considered Russia a "peacemaker" fell by half from 25% to 12%.[562]

Some observers noted what they described as a "generational struggle" among Russians over perception of the war, with younger Russians generally opposed to the war and older Russians more likely to accept the narrative presented by state-controlled media in Russia, the main source of news for most Russians.[563] Kataryna Wolczuk, an associate fellow of Chatham House's Russia and Eurasia programme, said that "[Older] Russians are inclined to think in line with the official 'narrative' that Russia is defending Russian speakers in Ukraine, so it's about offering protection rather than aggression."[563] A poll by the independent Levada Center published on 30 March saw Putin's approval rating jump from 71% in February to 83% in March.[564][565] However, many respondents do not want to answer pollsters' questions for fear of negative consequences.[566] In March 2022, when a Russian politician Maxim Katz and a group of Russian researchers commissioned a poll on Russians’ attitudes toward the war in Ukraine, 29,400 of the 31,000 people they called refused to answer after hearing the theme of the question.[567]

Companies criticised for not joining the boycott

A number of companies have faced growing pressure to halt operations in Russia, but have not yet done so.[19][568][569] Those include:

  • Accor, a French hospitality company, with 55 locations in Russia.[570]
  • AmerisourceBergen, an American healthcare company, maintains research depots in Russia.[570]
  • Arconic, an American industrial company.[570]
  • Binance, one of world's largest crypto exchanges, refused to ban all Russian accounts.[17] However, Binance announced that it has donated more than $10 million to its Ukrainian Emergency Relief Fund and $2.5 million to UNICEF's efforts in Ukraine.[571][572]
  • Bosch, is one of the largest German multinational engineering and technology companies headquartered in Gerlingen.[573][574]
  • Bridgestone, a Japanese auto and truck parts manufacturer,[570] left Russia after it sold all its interests in December 2023.[575]
  • Burger King, an American fast food chain.[530]
  • Citigroup, an American bank.[570]
  • COSCO, a Chinese container shipping company, and one of the largest container shipping companies in the world.[352]
  • Credit Suisse, a global investment bank and financial services firm founded and based in Switzerland. Credit Suisse has declared that its Moscow offices remain open, as it was trying to shred evidence of $1.7 billion Russian loans backed by yachts.[576]
  • Deutsche Bank, a German multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, and dual-listed on the FWB and the NYSE.[577] According to The New Yorker, Deutsche Bank has long had an "abject"[578] reputation among major banks, as it has been involved in major scandals across different issue areas.
  • Ferragamo, an Italian luxury goods company,[570] does not own stores in Russia and shipments to franchise operation ceased in March 2022.[579]
  • French retail companies owned wholly or partially by members of the Mulliez family:
    • Auchan, a supermarket chain which in 2016 was ranked first in a list of the largest foreign-owned companies by the Russian edition of Forbes, with revenue in Russia of more than $5 billion.[580][15]
    • Leroy Merlin, a home improvement and DIY retailer, operates 112 stores in Russia. On 11 March the company announced it has no plans to reduce its operations in Russia.[581][15]
  • Herbalife, an American marketing company.[570]
  • International Paper, an American paper and pulp manufacturer.[582]
  • Japan Tobacco International, the top tobacco company in Russia, which controls 37% of the Russian tobacco market.[583][15]
  • Kia, a South Korean car manufacturer and Russia's third-largest carmaker as of 2016.[584] Kia holds a 30% stake in the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Rus plant in St. Petersburg which is being sold in December 2023. The contract includes a two year buy back clause.[585]
  • Kimberly-Clark, an American personal care corporation.[570]
  • Koch Industries, an American conglomerate.[582]
  • Lenovo, a Chinese hardware and electronics manufacturer.[510]
  • Metro AG, a German company which operates cash and carry stores in Russia.[586]
  • Micro-Star International, Taiwanese multinational information technology corporation.[587]
  • Mohawk Industries, an American manufacturer.[570]
  • Nokian Tyres, which produces 80% of its tyres in Russia and employs around 1,600 people.[588] In October 2022, Nokian sold its Russian operations to Tatneft for €400 million and announced a €650 million investment for a new factory in Romania.[589]
  • Otis Worldwide, an American elevator and escalator manufacturer.[570] It announced on 11 March that is suspending new sales of its elevators and escalators in Russia while continuing all existing maintenance deals.[590]
  • Pirelli, an Italian tyre manufacturer.[570]
  • Renault, a French automobile company.[591][592]
  • Timken, an American industrial company.[570]
  • Whirlpool, American manufacturer and marketer of home appliances.[570]

See also

References