Heineken Stops Production and Sales in Russia

Brewing giant Heineken N.V. has joined a growing list of global firms to halt operations in Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Heineken, the largest beer manufacturer in Europe, will stop the production, sale and advertising of its beer in Russia. The company operates seven breweries and employs 1,800 workers in Russia, where the market represents fewer than 2% of its global sales. Those workers will continue to be paid, a Heineken spokesperson told Brewbound.

“We are shocked and saddened to watch the tragedy in Ukraine unfold,” CEO Dolf van den Brink said in a statement today. “We stand with the Ukrainian people and our hearts go out to all those affected. The Russian government’s war against Ukraine is an unprovoked and completely unjustified attack.”

In addition to stopping sales and production, the company “will take immediate steps to ring-fence our Russian business from the wider Heineken company to stop the flow of monies, royalties and dividends out of Russia. Heineken will no longer accept any net financial benefit derived from our Russian operations.”

The stoppage follows Heineken’s €1 million donation to humanitarian efforts as more than 2 million Ukrainians have fled the country since the invasion began on February 24, as well as an announcement that the company has stopped all exports to and new investments in Russia.

“We are assessing the strategic options for the future of our Russian operations,” van den Brink wrote. “We see a clear distinction between the actions of the government and our employees in Russia.”

Molson Coors has “limited sales and no physical assets in Russia,” and is pulling back on any business in the country.

“We have suspended all exports of any Molson Coors brands to Russia, and we are suspending the license to produce any of our brands in Russia,” CEO Gavin Hattersley wrote on LinkedIn.

The company will donate to the American Red Cross and Eastern European organizations, such as Prague-based People In Need.

Anheuser-Busch InBev operates a joint venture in the region named AB InBev Efes. The company did not specify its plans but a spokesperson shared the following statement:

“The safety of our people is our highest priority. We are focused on providing assistance to our colleagues and their families, and we are working closely with our local colleagues in Ukraine and Russia as we continue to monitor the situation.”

Several global companies across sectors have announced plans to stop sales in Russia in the wake of the invasion, including Starbucks, McDonald’s, Ford, Apple, BP, and many others.

Editor’s note: this story was updated at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 10 to include comments from Molson Coors CEO Gavin Hattersley.