Netflix suspends service in Russia due to Ukraine invasion

Netflix has suspended its service in Russia just days after announcing that it would pause all projects and acquisitions in the country, the company said on Sunday.

“Given the circumstances on the ground, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia,” a Netflix spokesperson told Variety.

Russia is a relatively small market for the streaming giant, with the company having about a million subscribers there. However, it is the latest entertainment giant to limit its operations due to the Kremlin’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Other major entertainment companies, including Disney, Sony, Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., have halted the release of new films in Russia, including “The Batman,” “Turning Red” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 2.”

Netflix’s move came shortly after the company announced it would “pause” its Russian television and film productions effective immediately, refusing to comply with laws that may have forced the company to broadcast 20 Russian propaganda channels.

TikTok also announced that it would ban all live streams and content creation in the country as Russian President Vladimir Putin passed a new law criminalizing anything he considers “fake news.”

Other tech giants such as Microsoft, Apple and Google have halted sales in Russia, which has drawn international ire with its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The White House and the European Union have also imposed tough sanctions on the country, as well as on Putin and his allies, to punish the Kremlin for its military action.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related…