Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) has temporarily suspended operations in Ukraine, including at a factory in Kharkiv, following a Russian invasion, a news release said.
“The safety and security of our colleagues and their families is our primary concern, and we have therefore temporarily suspended our operations in Ukraine,” Philip Morris CEO Jacek Olczak said in the release. “Our employees are advised to stay at home or in any safe place and follow instructions from local authorities. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
The company operates with one factory and 1,300 employees in the country, the news release said.
Last year, Ukraine accounted for 2% of PMI’s total cigarette and heated tobacco shipment count, the company said.
"The company’s current product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products, including heat-not-burn, vapor and oral nicotine products, which are sold in markets outside the U.S.," the news release said. "Since 2008, PMI has invested more than U.S. dollar $9 billion to develop, scientifically substantiate and commercialize innovative smoke-free products for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, with the goal of completely ending the sale of cigarettes."
PMI's smoke-free products are available for sale in 71 markets, the news release said.
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the marketing of a version of PMI’s IQOS Platform 1 device and consumables as a Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP), finding that an exposure modification order for these products is appropriate to promote the public health," the company said.
PMI estimates that approximately 15.3 million adults around the world have already switched to IQOS and quit smoking.