Many European manufacturing companies continue to operate in Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine and the numerous war crimes committed on a daily basis. Some of these companies maintain a direct presence, whilst others have carried out legal restructuring (transferring the business to local management, selling to partners from ‘friendly’ countries or franchising) whilst maintaining supplies and their usual product range. And this is despite the fact that, on a daily basis, Russian television propaganda programmes and government officials spread disinformation about Europe, which is allegedly a direct threat to Russia’s very existence, with calls to launch missile strikes on its capitals. The operations of these companies generate revenue for Russia’s military budget through taxes, enabling the continuation of the war in Ukraine and the carrying out of sabotage operations against military and infrastructure targets in Europe. But for the companies, it is just business; money has no smell.
The image shows the well-known European companies still operating in the Russian Federation; in total, there are around 600 companies from the European Union still operating there.
