Russia initiated aggression against Ukraine in 2014. On February 24, 2022, it started a full-scale military invasion to the Ukrainian territory. This brutal war and military crimes of Russian troops caused a humanitarian crisis in Ukraine with thousands civilians killed and millions becoming refuges. As a reaction to this act of aggression, many international companies decided to leave the Russian market, while some others continue doing business there as usual. We track such decisions of companies and urge them to stop funding the war.
Hold off investments: company postponing future planned investment/development/marketing while continuing substantive business
Pausing InvestmentsReducing Activities: company scaling back some business operations while continuing others
Scaling BackPause operations: company temporarily curtailing operations while keeping return options open
SuspensionClean Break: the company completely halting Russian engagements or exiting Russia
WithdrawalExit Completed: company sold its business/assets or its part of the business to a local partner and leaved the market
Exit CompletedOn March 11, 2022 Leroy Merlin announced that it does not plan to reduce its operations in Russia, where it operates 143 stores. On March 17, 2022 they disconnected the Ukrainian office from corporate communications and announced that they would increase deliveries to the Russian Federation. Stopped new investments, imports, and financing in Russia. But the latest video investigation confirms that a French company is supporting Russia's war effort in Ukraine. On March 24, 2023 ADEO announces its intention to transfer control of Leroy Merlin Russia to the local management. The company Scenari Holding, registered in the United Arab Emirates, became the main owner of "Leroy Merlin Vostok", the Russian structure of the chain of stores, according to the data of the EGRUL. 12.2023: The record about the founder of JSC "BRICOLAGE INVESTISSMAN FRANCE" has been deleted from EGRUL. SCENARI HOLDING LP (UAE) becomes the new founder of the organization. 19.12.2023: The status of a legal entity is changed to "The legal entity is in the process of reorganization in the form of joining it with other legal entities." In the course of a detailed investigation, it turned out that the company signed a technical agreement on the alleged sale of the main business in Russia (SCENARI HOLDING LP from the UAE), but the CEO (Defassier Laurent, Louis, Claude) stayed the same since 2019, the company signs new contracts with the group and authorities of the Russian Federation (including the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Internal Affairs), trademarks are extended in Rospatent until 2031. In addition, as the L'Express investigation showed, SCENARI HOLDING LP has the same General Director as in Russia - Laurent Defassier, so the company used a tax optimization scheme, also called layering. Also, most of the imports in 2023 by Leroy Merlin Vostok in Russia was received from ADEO.
Still operating in Russia due to "unimaginable leaving from a human point of view" working for the benefit of the civilian population. The latest video investigation confirms that a French company is supporting Russia's war effort in Ukraine. The National Agency for Prevention of Corruption included the French corporation "Auchan" in the list of international war sponsors. "Auchan Retail Russia continues to work on the Russian market and does not plan to change either its strategy or its work organization. Auchan in Russia works autonomously, without investments from the parent company. There are no plans to open new stores. At the same time, all existing stores continue their work and there are no plans to close them," the retailer noted. Ceetrus, owned by the Auchan group, may sell its assets in Russia. The Ceetrus group, which owns and operates almost 300 shopping centers in Europe, is considering the possibility of selling its assets in Russia. Retailer Auchan refutes rumors about leaving the Russian market, the company continues its work in Russia and plans development in the country, the retailer said in a statement. Auchan made the corresponding statement against the backdrop of recent news about transactions in the real estate market. Earlier it became known that the French company Ceetrus, part of the Auchan Holding group, closed a deal to sell Russian assets. According to the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, from April 12, 2024, the Trade Galleries company became the new owner. “The change of founders, as well as any other structural or organizational changes occurring in third-party companies, do not in any way affect the activities of Auchan in Russia,” the release adds. The retailer also reminds that since 2023, Auchan Retail Russia has been operating in the Russian market independently from the parent company.
The company promised to stop any new spending not related to the supply of the essential and life-changing medicines and vaccines in Russia, as well as in Belarus. Increased revenue, profit and assets in Russia in 2022 vs 2021. Customs data shows that the latest deliveries were in 2023. Sanofi experiencing serious supply problems from its Russian plant to EU market.
The company is temporarily closing its stores in Russia and suspending investments in the country. There are no statements about its Russian plant. In Russia, the Group has temporarily closed all its own stores and e-commerce sites and suspended all industrial and media investments. In accordance with European and American sanctions, L'Oreal promised to suspend the sales of all products except essential daily products. The share in sales through own websites is minimal. After the suspension, L'Oreal increased cooperation with other sites, including sanctioned ones. The company officially works in Crimea. Advertising expenses were not stopped - all investments were suspended for only 2-3 months. Now everything has been restored and even increased. The delivery of goods through Turkey and Kazakhstan was arranged.
No official statement
No official statement
Still operating in Russia. Lactalis and Savencia maintain their positions in Russia, although they are attracting the attention of local players looking to capitalize on their presence in the market. The Lactalis company, which has been operating in Russia since 2003 and has four production facilities, has attracted the interest of Sergey Bachin, a well-known Russian businessman who heads the Agranta group of companies. Despite this interest, both Lactalis and Savencia have yet to show any intention to abandon their Russian operations, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to the market amid current events.
Lesaffre continues its activities. On April 28, 2022, a webinar on how to bake bread will take place in Moscow.
Still operates in Russia. Lactalis and Savencia maintain their positions in Russia, although they are attracting the attention of local players looking to capitalize on their presence in the market. The Lactalis company, which has been operating in Russia since 2003 and has four production facilities, has attracted the interest of Sergey Bachin, a well-known Russian businessman who heads the Agranta group of companies. Despite this interest, both Lactalis and Savencia have yet to show any intention to abandon their Russian operations, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to the market amid current events.
Promised to suspend new investments/development but continued operations. Scandal as Yves Rocher accused of promoting ethnic superiority of russian women. Yves Rocher has been placed on the sponsors of war list by National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP).
Received revenues in Russia in 2021, there is no any official announcement
No official statement
Still operating in Russia with increasing sales and profit volumes in 2022 vs 2021.
No official statement
Continue doing business as usual.
Received revenues in Russia in 2021, there is no any official announcement
Continue doing business as usual.
Still operating and actively hiring in Russia
Still selling online in Russia
Still selling products to Russia
No official statement
Continue doing business as usual.
Continues business in Russia. In 10 months of 2023, the French Kuhn SAS supplied Russia with seed drills worth $5 million (in the top ten importers). There were also deliveries of cultivators in the amount of $887,000. Shipments were made from France to the Kun Vostok representative office in the Voronezh region.
Continue doing business as usual.
Received revenues in Russia in 2021, there is no any official announcement
Continue doing business as usual, increased revenue in 2022 vs 2021.
Received revenues in Russia in 2021, there is no any official announcement
Still selling to Russia
Received revenues in Russia in 2021, there is no any official announcement
Received revenues in Russia in 2021, there is no any official announcement
The company continues to operate in Russia.
Received revenues in Russia in 2021, there is no any official announcement
Received revenues in Russia in 2021, there is no any official announcement
No official statement
No official statement
Promised to stop all activities in Russia. Safran confirmed they are still buying titanium from Vsmpo-Avismo but are working to reduce their Russia purchases.
Leroy Merlin will continue to work in the Russian Federation and is ready to expand supplies and range (112 stores in Russia). Leroy Merlin's parent company, Adeo, said it was "transferring control" of Leroy Merlin to local management in Russia, where it is among the biggest foreign employers. 12.2023: The entry about the founder of JSC "BRICOLAGE INVESTISSMAN FRANCE" was removed from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities. "LIMITED PARTNERSHIP SENARY HOLDING LP becomes the new founder of the organization | 19.12.2023: The status of a legal entity is changed to The legal entity is in the process of reorganization in the form of the merger of other legal entities. In the course of a detailed investigation, it turned out that the company signed a technical agreement on the alleged sale of the main business in Russia (SCENARI HOLDING LP from the UAE), as the CEO (Defassier Laurent, Louis, Claude) stayed the same since 2019, the company signs new contracts with the group and authorities of the Russian Federation (including the Ministry of Internal Affairs), trademarks are extended in Rospatent until 2031. In addition, as the L'Express investigation showed, SCENARI HOLDING LP has the same General Director as in Russia - Laurent Defassier, so the company used a tax optimization scheme, also called layering. Also, most of the imports in 2023 by Leroy Merlin Vostok in Russia was received from ADEO.
Journalistic investigation proves French retailer supports Russian war effort.
Stop underwriting new insurance & stop renewals. French insurer AXA supports the main importer of Russian gas into Europe. Despite the war in Ukraine, French giant AXA is still providing insurance cover to Belgium’s Fluxys, which imports into France and Belgium gas held by oligarchs accused of funding Russia’s war effort, according to documents obtained by Disclose and NGO Reclaim Finance.
Since February 24, the company has not commented on the exit from the russian market and continues to sponsor the war in Ukraine.
Sales office in St. Petersburg, 10th largest exporter of Chocolate to Russia, direct shipments continue.
Suspended Moscow office. French EDF purchased 153 tons of enriched uranium from Russia for its nuclear power plants in 2022.
The French nuclear conglomerate Framatome has so far refused to end its cooperation with Rosatom. Paris approves the building of Russian-led nuclear reactors in Hungary. The French government has approved Framatome's participation in the construction of two new reactors at the Paks power plant, arguing that the nuclear industry is not affected by international sanctions against Russia.
The French company Gregoire Besson supplied disc harrows (14.04%), the company supplied equipment directly to its representative office in Russia "Gregoire Besson Vostok".
Promised to suspend new investments and "sharply" reduce activities in Russia. But the company still hasn't left the market and did not reduced its activities. Actively hires employees for positions, including head office. It promises a business trip to Europe, the possibility of relocation in the future.
The International Red Cross Movement has decided not to suspend membership of the Russian Red Cross despite potential violations of neutrality rules revealed by the investigation. An investigation published last month by a group of news outlets, including the Guardian, was based in part on a series of leaked Kremlin documents that revealed plans to fund Red Cross branches in the occupied territory of Ukraine. It also became known that heads of regional Red Cross branches spoke of the need for war against Ukrainian Nazis", and uniformed Red Cross workers often visited military schools for children. At the beginning of this year, the Russian Red Cross signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Artek youth camp in the annexed Crimea, where some of the children deported from Ukraine were sent. The head of "Artek" Kostyantyn Fedorenko came under US and EU sanctions.
Statement condemning Russian invasion of Ukraine (No Russian members expelled)
The French company Marchante supplied the Russian arms company Kurganpribor with various technical products during the war (including fuses for Grad and Smerch MLRS systems). Marchante was not deterred by the fact that Kurganpribor was an official partner of the Kalashnikov Corporation, and that the owner of the Russian company was Sergey Muratov, a senator in the Federation Council Russia’s upper house of parliament. Kurganpribor was blacklisted by the EU only in December – Muratov, however, has been under personal sanctions since last March. This did not interrupt his business relationship with Marchante.
Amtek is a distributor for Motul east of the Moscow region. They list an extensive network of retail outlets selling Motul products and also offer businesses the chance to sell Motul products on their website.
The head of a sensitive company is accused of illegally transferring French know-how to the Chinese and Russians. Between diverted military chips, seized millions of euros and the return of the Russian state, justice is investigating a rare case of foreign intervention and counter-proliferation.
The leader among French suppliers is Optaperiph; it supplied 6 million euros worth of thermal insulation products, valves and other equipment to Russia.
The company has restaurants in Russia.
Affiliates still operating in Russia
JSC Information Satellite Systems (ISS) has only been sanctioned by the US, meaning it can freely import switches from the EU that are later used in the microchips of the rockets' onboard control systems. The switches are supplied by French company Radiall S.A.
Worldline said in a statement: “In line with the recommendations of the European Securities and Market Authority (ESMA) relayed by the French regulator Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), the Group confirms that its business related to Russia is limited, representing only c. 1.5% of its 2021 estimated proforma annual Worldline Group’s revenue on continued operations, mainly from its online acceptance business, operated from outside Russia and allowing domestic consumers to transact online with non-Russian international Merchants.”
The Group’s long-term contracts with Gazprom in 2021 represented approximately 20% of ENGIE’s overall gas sales and consumption worldwide. Should European sanctions affect Russian supplies – ENGIE would comply with such decision at all levels. At the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2022, Engie initiated arbitration proceedings against Gazprom Export LLC, seeking, in particular: recognition of Gazprom Export LLC's failure to fulfill its gas supply obligations under long-term gas supply contracts and payment of penalties, and as well as compensation for damages caused as a result of such non-performance.
Suspending new investments but still operating in Russia.
Continues serving patients. March 29, 2022 "In line with our relentless commitment to serving patients, we will continue to tackle their healthcare needs regardless of their race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, country of origin, language, or religion. We support global sanctions, and we will take all precautionary measures to comply with them. We have suspended several promotional activities in Russia, including advertising and participation to non-scientific congresses. Additionally, we will not initiate any new clinical trials."
Continues flows to Russian and Ukrainian producers but suspends its project to build a seed factory in Russia
Boiron frozes investments, stopped advertising campaigns, canceled new product launches and stopped its clinical trial activities in Russia.
The company stops investments in the country, canceling its plans to support the growth of that market. All money flows between its HQ and its Russian subsidiary are interrupted. BlaBlaCar will maintain the current service, but isolate its Russian activity from the rest of the company, and stop all development plans.
According to press, the company suspends new investments/development in Russia. The chief executive of Accor, the French owner of the Orient Express and Novotel hotels, has claimed pulling out of Russia is “not an option” unless he is forced to by more stringent sanctions.
To indefinitely suspend new investments in Russia in response to the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine,
Initially paused exports to Russia. The Pernod Ricard company, which owns Ireland's largest Jameson whiskey brand, has resumed supplies to the Russian market. Sales were suspended in March last year after the start of a full-scale war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. The Absolut Company has decided to stop the export of its brand to Russia.
The company decided to continue doing business in Russia, citing the lack of bans from France and the EU. The Bonduelle company, which continues to work in the Russian Federation, supported the Russian military. Scaled back operation in Russia.
The company has stopped exports to customers in Russia and Belarus and imports from these two countries. All investment projects have been cancelled. Local activities are now operating at a minimum and in autonomous mode to maintain the employment of employees.
Call centre group Teleperformance says it has 'curtailed' Russian operations. But Russian website is operational as of Feb 23, 2023 with a slogan "Welcome to Russia". Not clear what "curtailing" operations means, other than complying with sanctions.
Bureau Veritas has downsized its business in Russia in the sectors where the company was previously operating i.e. Marine, Aeronautics and Commodities.
Temporarily close our boutiques in Russia and pause all our commercial activities. After a steep drop right after the invasion, shipments never really stopped, and recovered the volume somewhat by the Fall of 2022, albeit not at the pre-invasion level. Moreover, singificant porttion of the shipments is direct.
Still operating in Russia. “We are providing absolutely no new funding for our operations in Russia, and have stopped all new investment and all financial flows between the group and our Russian subsidiary.
Banijay Freezes All Russian Business Activity Following Ukraine Invasion
EssilorLuxottica restricted operations in Russia, continues to provide essential medical vision care services.
That momentary suspension has now been made ultimate. Because the conflict grinds on and the West makes an attempt to additional isolate Russia, Josef Aschbacher, ESA’s director common, introduced on Tuesday that ties on the rover mission had been reduce for good. Refused to collaborate with Roskosmos on the ExoMars mission
The FATF Plenary on February 24, 2023 has suspended the membership of the Russian Federation. The Ministry of Finance of Ukraine expresses concern over reports of Russia's attempts to blackmail member countries of the International Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on the eve of the FATF plenary meeting in Paris, which will take place on June 19-23. Russia is trying to exert political pressure on its commercial partners to avoid being blacklisted. In particular, Russia demands to oppose any applications of Ukraine or FATF decisions regarding its inclusion in black or gray lists. The International Anti-Money Laundering Group (FATF) did not include Russia in the "black list". The Ministry of Finance and the State Financial Monitoring Service have once again called on the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF) to include Russia in the "blacklist" during the plenary sessions in Paris from October 23 to 27, 2023.
Suspend services in Russia & reduce shipments to and from Russia significantly
Suspend many transactions and cease new financing
The Governor of Sevastopol canceled the state purchase of Citroen cars for officials.
PowerJet, which is registered in France, announced the termination of the contract after the entry into force of EU and US sanctions against Russia, The company stopped supplying spare parts for SaM146, maintenance and repair of engines. In February 2022, the French side stopped the supply of spare parts, technical support and repair of engines, as well as obligations as an engine developer.