The Co-op supermarket has suspended the sale of Russian made vodka following the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces last week.
A spokesperson for the Co-op said the decision to remove the sale of Russian-made vodka was 'a sign of solidarity with the people of Ukraine'.
Russian Standard will not be stocked for the foreseeable future due to the product being overtly marketed as Russian.
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Last week, Russian military forces invaded neighbouring Ukraine in an 'unprovoked' attack which has sparked condemnation from world leaders across the globe.
The invasion has created a refugee crisis with over a million Ukrainians forced to flee their homes out of fear.
The supermarket chain has also said customers who wish to support the humanitarian response will be able to donate to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal across their 2,600 stores.
A Co-op spokesperson said: “In response to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces and as a sign of solidarity with the people of Ukraine, we have taken the decision to remove from sale Russian-made vodka. Russian Standard has been taken off sale with immediate effect because it is overtly marketed as being Russian and produced there. It will not be stocked for the foreseeable future.
They added: “Our members and customers will also be able to support the humanitarian response to help those displaced by the conflict by donating at our stores to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC ) appeal. The appeal will launch across our 2,600 stores today (Thursday 3 March 2022) and we’ll be match funding our customers donations up to £100,000.
“Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine, and those in Russia who oppose this invasion.”
