The British company Diageo, which produces alcoholic beverages under brands such as Smirnoff, Black Label, Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Baileys and Captain Morgan, will leave Russia, Kommersant writes, citing a company message.

The process of phasing out commercial activity will take about six months, a Diageo spokesman said. “Following the cessation of exports and the sale of finished products to our customers in Russia in March, we made the difficult decision to force a gradual reduction in commercial activity in the country,” he explained.

Diageo announced the suspension of deliveries to Russia on March 3, shortly after the start of Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine. The decision was then explained by problems with logistics.

In the spring, representatives of the sector estimated that alcohol imports into the country could decrease by about 40 percent. In April, Russian restaurateurs noted the problem of a shortage of alcoholic products and their rise in price by 20-50 percent.