Microsoft suspends sales and services in Russia

Microsoft announced today that it will suspend all new sales and services of its products in Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

“Like the rest of the world, we are horrified, angered, and saddened by the images and news coming from the war in Ukraine and condemn this unjustified, unprovoked, and unlawful invasion by Russia,” Brad Smith, president and vice chair at Microsoft, notes in an official blog post.

Microsoft is behind major products like the operating system windows and the gaming hardware Xbox, along with services like the Game Pass subscription and Azure cloud computing.

“Our single most impactful area of work almost certainly is the protection of Ukraine’s cybersecurity,” notes Smith. “We continue to work proactively to help cybersecurity officials in Ukraine defend against Russian attacks, including most recently a cyberattack against a major Ukrainian broadcaster.”

Microsoft also notes that its Philanthropies and UN Affairs teams are working to support refugees displaced by the crisis.

“As a company, we are committed to the safety of our employees in Ukraine and we are in constant contact with them to offer support in many forms, including those who have needed to flee for their lives or safety,” concludes the blog post. “Like so many others, we stand with Ukraine in calling for the restoration of peace, respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and the protection of its people.”