Samsung is suspending the shipment of all its products to Russia, the company announced on Friday. “Due to current geopolitical developments, shipments to Russia have been suspended,” reads a statement from an unnamed Samsung representative, via Samsung’s generic PR email address. “We continue to actively monitor this complex situation to determine our next steps.”
It’s not just smartphones — Samsung’s suspension includes products ranging from “chips to smartphones and consumer electronics,” a source said Bloomberg — meaning the move cuts Russia off from a huge range of products from one of the largest electronics suppliers in the world.
Samsung also donates to humanitarian efforts. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected and our priority is to ensure the safety of all our employees and their families,” the company said. “We intend to actively support humanitarian efforts in the region, including aid to refugees. To that end, we are donating $6 million, including $1 million in consumer electronics products, as well as voluntary donations from our employees.”
Samsung is the latest technology supplier to block new sales of its products in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. The last we heard was that South Korea-based Samsung may still have been able to ship technology to Russia despite some export restrictions, but the company itself may have decided to stop shipping.
Apple, FIFA developer EA, and Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red has halted all sales in Russia, and Microsoft has also announced that “all new sales of Microsoft products and services in Russia” will be suspended in the country.
Tech platforms have also taken other measures: Google has stopped all ad sales in Russia, Reddit has banned links to Russian state-sponsored media site-wide, Facebook has stopped recommending Russian state media worldwide, and Twitter has ads in Russia and Ukraine. paused. However, Russia has backed off against some by restricting Twitter and blocking Facebook outright in the country.
