German building materials are fleeing the Russian Federation in all directions (VIDEO)

Construction materials manufacturer Knauf ceases operations in the Russian Federation. The company did not name the reasons for leaving the Russian market, indicating only that this was happening against the backdrop of “current events.” The company said in a statement that it had decided to transfer the entire business, including raw material extraction, production and sales, to local management in order to preserve the jobs of more than 4,000 employees. Russian authorities have yet to approve it.

The world-famous family concern confirmed that “the Knauf group, against the backdrop of current events, has decided, after more than 30 years in Russia, to part with its business there.”

“For us, this is not about money, but about our 4,000 employees. I have known some for 30 years. Loyalty to these people means to me that I will not let them go into an uncertain future,” Alexander Knauf emphasized in an interview with the economic publication Manager Magazin , who has been leading this family-owned company with more than 90 years of history since January 2022.

Knauf did not name specific reasons for curtailing its business in Russia. Recently, the concern, whose turnover in 2022 amounted to 15.4 billion euros, again came under fire due to its work in the Russian Federation, as well as in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian Mariupol. Since the Russian armed invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, all other German companies have already left Russia.

Previously, Knauf called Der Spiegel’s statements erroneous and emphasized: “We strongly reject accusations of obedient, let alone active support for the conduct of war or the military apparatus.” Now the company’s management “in general terms,” as noted on the ARD website, responded to the editors of the Monitor program, but left a large list of specific questions unanswered. It said it condemns Russian aggression against Ukraine, follows all EU sanctions against Russia and “produces products exclusively for the Russian market.”



Factory workers will work under a different label.