Car Manufacturers Continue to Stop Production and Exports in Russia Due to Invasion of Ukraine
- The Russian invasion of Ukraine has resulted in major sanctions imposed by Western countries on Vladimir Putin's government and the economic fallout for the country has been severe
- Car companies are among many sectors in the country facing supply chain and logistical constraints in Russia as many Western companies have rejected Putin's decision to invade Ukraine
- Car shipments to Russia have been paused as over 1,5 million Ukrainians have been displaced by the Russian invasion and companies have car companies have cited their concern for Ukraine or Western sanctions as the reason for them scaling back
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The impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine has had wide implications for Vladimir Putin's economy as Western companies publicly stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, many of which have had to flee their homeland.
Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February and immediately the United States, Britain, France and other European countries hit Putin's government with major sanctions. The Western-led sanctions have forced companies to prematurely stop the production and retail of goods and services in Russia.
Several shipping corporations, such as the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Maersk, have paused operations in Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine, according to TechCrunch.
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This has direct implications for carmakers who cannot receive components to build cars in the country and production needed to be stopped. Other car companies have halted production due to complying with Western sanctions.
We take a look at which car companies have halted producing and exporting cars to Russia as the invasion of Ukraine continues by Russian forces, according to CBS.
Ford
The US carmaker said it informed its joint-venture partners that it suspended its operations in Russia at the beginning of March. In addition, the company made a contribution of $100 000 to the Global Giving Ukraine Relief Fund.
Renault
The French carmaker has one of the largest footprints in Russia and has a plant in the capital Moscow, which it temporarily suspended production at.
Mercedes
The German carmaker said it would stopped exporting cars and vans, as well as manufacturing in Russia.
Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, Porsche
The Volkswagen Group, which includes several brands, issued a statement and said it stopped production at three plants, and that no vehicles will be exported to the country.
Volvo
The Swedish brand was forced to stop exports due to sanctions imposed on Russia. In addition the carmaker donated money towards Ukraine via Unicef and Save Children.
Toyota
The Japanese carmaker has a plant in St Petersburg that produces the Rav4 SUV and Camry sedan, it had stopped production due to supply chain issues the company said.
Playful dog chases Google Maps StreetView car for 15 seconds of fame
If you search for directions in the district of Kumage in Japan’s Kagoshima Prefecture, you may notice a playful-looking white and brown dog in the Google StreetView images, Briefly News reports.
The playful pooch found an unlikely playmate in the Google Maps car, which has a 360-degree camera located on its roof. Images on Google Maps show the white and brown-coloured dog near a quiet road close to a marina. The car then moves along the road, but the dog doesn't give up and clearly wants to make the most of his time on camera.
It's likely that the dog thought this interaction with the car was a game as it playfully ran and then came to a halt before charging ahead of the vehicle, all in the hopes of landing the perfect pose. Well, it clearly worked; the dog is a natural on camera.
Source: Briefly News