Why do Philip Morris companies continue to operate in Russia and Ukraine simultaneously and no one cares? This question was asked by political scientist Taras Zahorodnyi.
Recently, social media and the media have stopped mentioning an important topic: companies that continue to operate in Ukraine and Russia. We sometimes hear about Auchan and Pepsi-Cola, but in general, it seems that everyone is already used to this parallel reality. These companies continue to make profits in Ukraine and pay taxes to the Russian budget, thus financing the war.
I am most outraged by the situation with Philip Morris. According to the Forbes rating, this tobacco company became the first of the largest foreign companies in Russia to increase its net profit by 28% (up to RUB 6.29 billion) in 2023! “Philip Morris not only did not leave the Russian market, but also significantly increased its cigarette production. The company is opening new factories in Russia and still lists Crimea as Russian territory in its reports.
Philip Morris’ ties to the Russians suggest possible cooperation with the occupiers. For example, in Kharkiv, it is difficult to find a building that has not yet been attacked by Russians. In 2022, only the administrative building on the territory of the old Philip Morris factory was damaged during the shelling.
Judging by the company’s statement, the factory is not resuming operations not because of damage to the production buildings, but because of the “security situation in the region.” Do you think it’s a coincidence that the Russians are shelling everything around them and not the Philip Morris factory?
What is our government doing in response? A year ago, the NACP added Philip Morris to the list of companies that sponsor terrorism.
But nothing seems to have changed in a year. The company has production facilities, an office in Lviv, and a significant share of the Ukrainian market. And by a strange coincidence, ALL employees of Philip Morris and the Tedis tobacco distributor owned by Odesa businessman Boris Kaufman are exempt from mobilization. It turns out that a company that sponsors terrorism is also a strategic enterprise important for the country’s defense.