PlayStation, Nintendo, Heineken, Carlsberg, Universal Music join Russia exodus

Dutch brewerHeineken, Danish beer-makerCarlsberg, andUniversalMusicGroup are some of the latest Western firms to halt operations inRussiaover Moscow's war in Ukraine.

On Thursday, Japanese gaming giants PlayStation and Nintendo announced they would suspend shipments toRussiatoo, joining the hundreds of multinationals who have taken action.

Heineken, the world's second-biggest beer company, said Wednesday it was stopping the production, advertising and sale of its namesake brand inRussia"in response to the continued escalation of the war".

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Heinekenhad already suspended new investments and exports toRussialast week.

"We are shocked and saddened to watch the tragedy in Ukraine unfold,"Heinekenchief executive Dolf van den Brink said in a statement.

"The Russian government's war against Ukraine is an unprovoked and completely unjustified attack," he added.

Heinekenemploys 1,800 people inRussiaand says it is the third-biggest brewer in the country, where it makes the Zhigulevskoe and Oxota brands for the local market.

The brewer said it would take "immediate steps to ring-fence" its Russian business from the rest of its global operations "to stop the flow of monies, royalties and dividends out ofRussia".

"Heinekenwill no longer accept any net financial benefit derived from our Russian operations," it said.

Heineken's other famous brands include Amstel, Tiger and Strongbow cider.

Danish brewerCarlsberg, the world's fourth biggest beer producer, said it too was halting production and sales inRussia.

It said Baltika Breweries, which it majority owns, would continue to operate as a separate business to sustain its 8,400 employees inRussia"who are not responsible for the actions of the government".

The Danish group said that during the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, any profits generated by its business inRussiawould be donated to relief organisations.

Sony Group, which owns PlayStation, said in a Thursday statement that its video game unit "joins the global community in calling for peace in Ukraine" as it announced it had suspended operations inRussia.

The tech and entertainment conglomerate also said it was donating $2 million to the UN refugee agency and Save the Children "to support the victims of this tragedy".

A Nintendo spokesperson told AFP it would suspend shipments toRussia"for the time being" for logistical reasons.

World's biggest label

About 300 companies have announced their withdrawal fromRussiasince it invaded neighbouring Ukraine, according to Yale University researchers.

McDonald's, Coca-Cola and Starbucks joined the crowd on Tuesday following public pressure to do so.

Also on Tuesday,UniversalMusicGroup, the world's biggest label, said it was suspending all operations and closing its offices inRussiaeffective immediately.

"We urge an end to the violence in Ukraine as soon as possible,"Universalsaid in a statement.

"We are adhering to international sanctions and, along with our employees and artists, have been working with groups from a range of countries... to support humanitarian relief efforts to bring urgent aid to refugees in the region," it said.

Italian luxury sports car manufacturer Ferrari said it too was suspending deliveries toRussia.

Ferrari, which has no factories inRussiaand is represented there by two independent dealerships, sells less than 100 cars every year inRussia, out of more than 11,000 delivered worldwide last year.

The Italian company on Tuesday announced a donation of one million euros ($1.1 million) "to support the Ukrainians in need".

Elsewhere, French rail giant Alstom announced Wednesday that it was suspending deliveries toRussiaas well as future business investments there.

But Alstom said it was keeping its stake in Russian locomotives and rail equipment provider Transmashholding.

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