Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have decided to suspend their services in Russia to protest the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Earlier this week, Netflix first announced it would pause all future projects and acquisitions from Russia and join a growing list of companies cutting ties with the country.
Netflix had four original Russian productions, including an ongoing crime thriller series directed by Dasha Zhuk, which has since been put on hold. Netflix also recently refused to carry 20 Russian free propaganda channels that it was required to host under Russian law. Now the company is taking the additional step of shutting down its service entirely.
Amazon Prime Video, on the other hand, stated that it will not deliver cargo to Russia and Belarus apart from its streaming service. Amazon has collected a large number of donations through its employees for people affected by the war. It has been announced that more than 10.00 employees have given aid to Ukraine. Amazon also decided to embargo Russia or Belarus for its AWS-based cloud service.
“Given the current circumstances, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia,” a Netflix spokesperson said. said. The economic downturn Russia faced after its decision to enter the war with Ukraine was intense. Not only is the country grappling with sweeping sanctions, but many companies and organizations are also pulling out of Russia. Companies like Microsoft, Apple, and Dell have announced that they are suspending sales in the country, while Ikea has closed its stores and Nike has said it will no longer fulfill online orders.
