Intel has suspended operation in Russia, the company has confirmed. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, many companies around the globe have suspended or pulled out from Russia and its ally Belarus; chipmaker Intel is the latest to make a stand.
Intel had previously suspended shipments to customers in Russia and Belarus, but has since further stepped back from the country. Intel says, in a press release obtained by Reuters, that is has implemented "business continuity measures" to minimise disruption to its operations worldwide.
The importance of the availability of computer chips and the robustness of their supply chains has recently been the focus of US president Joe Biden's administration, which admits "semiconductors are an essential building block in the goods and products that Americans use every day."
Russia is likely to feel the loss of such a major chip supplier greatly, along with its ability to maintain steady supply of the latest technology. There are some Russia-based chip designers, though these often rely on foreign manufacturing capability, such as from Taiwan-based TSMC, which has expressed it will abide by Taiwan's wider sanctions on exports to Russia.
AMD also announced it was halting sales to Russia in February.
Intel has now condemned Russia's war in Ukraine, and is "calling for a swift return to peace."
Many game companies have pulled out of Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, the latest being Wargaming, the creator and publisher of World of Tanks and World of Warships. The company was founded in Minsk, but has announced it will "not own or operate any businesses in Russia and Belarus" from here on.
