Unilever’s CEO cited fear of losing control over the business as the reason for the company’s departure from Russia.

According to him, the difficulties caused by Russian measures in response to Western sanctions have significantly complicated the company’s operational activities.

Schumacher clarified that Unilever could no longer freely transfer funds to and from Russia, analyze performance results and manage brands. “I did not see any possibility of regaining control in the immediate future, which motivated our decision to leave the market,” said the senior manager.

Unilever announced the suspension of exports and imports of goods from Russia in March 2022. In June 2024, the company began to Russify the names of its brands. For example, Domestos became “Domestos” and Cif became “Sif”.

• The company received consent from the Russian government to sell the local business in September 2024, RBC sources reported. One of them estimated the value of the company at 35-40 billion rubles. At the same time, Kommersant sources stated that Arnest could become the buyer.
• In October, Unilever completed the sale of the Russian and Belarusian business to cosmetics and household chemicals maker Arnest. The amount of the transaction was not disclosed, however, according to the company, the company’s net assets amounted to about 600 million euros ($629 million). The structure included four factories and approximately 3 thousand employees.