Armelle Delmelle
March 8th, 2022

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99 Jysk stores closed due to the war (photo: Soren1996)

Danish brands have been halting their activites in Russia – and also Ukraine.

For example, Carlsberg has also closed several of its breweries in Russia  while the paint group Flügger has shut down all its operations in the country.  
 
Meanwhile, the logistics company DSV, just like Jysk, has sent all its employees in Ukraine home with salaries for both February and March. 

Jysk closes 86 stores in Ukraine
A total of 86 Jysk stores have been temporarily closed in Ukraine as well as 13 in Russia. Together the 99 stores employ 974 people, and all of them have been sent home with their pay.  
 
At the request of employees, the chain later reopened eight stores in the western part of Ukraine. “The stores have been opened with a humanitarian purpose. The need for duvets, pillows, and sleeping bags is great in Ukraine – especially among those on the run. That’s why several of our employees have volunteered to open the stores so they can help,” explained Rune Jungberg Pedersen, the communications director at Lars Larsen Group, which operates Jysk.  
 
Worldwide, Jysk has 3,085 stores in 50 countries. The closure is therefore only a small part of the chain’s overall activities. The retail chain is ready to offer work in other countries to employees who have fled Ukraine. Jysk is not the only one to close part of its operation down in Ukraine.  
 
Lego thinks of the children 
The LEGO Group has confirmed it has “paused shipments of products to Russia” due to the “impact of sanctions” and “unpredictable operating environment” in the country.  
 
“Our priority is the safety of all our colleagues. We are in contact with our Ukrainian team and providing ongoing support to ensure their safety. We are also working to support other colleagues around the world who are affected by the escalating crisis, including our team in Russia,” it noted.
 
To bring help to people affected by the war, the LEGO Foundation and KIRKBI will donate 110 million kroner.  
 
“The donation will be made to existing partners including the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Save the Children and the Danish Red Cross to meet the immediate and future needs of those affected by this devastating war.”  
 
Vestas puts on hold new projects  
At Vestas the main concern today is also the safety of its employees. This is why it has put on hold four windfarm projects in Russia.  
 
It has done so in agreement with Vestas’ Finnish customer. According to Ekstra Bladet, the projects were commissioned by the energy fund WEDF, which is a collaboration between the Finnish energy company Fortum and the Russian nanotechnology company Rusnano.  
 
The contracts for these projects were signed in September 2021 for a capacity of 253 megawatts. In comparison, Denmark has a total capacity of 4689.6 megawatts.  
 
The Vestas factories in Russia will continue with their operations. “The situation is evolving rapidly and we are constantly assessing our activities. As projects are put on hold, we are also looking at scaling back production,” it noted.