Unilever said in a statement that it had offloaded the subsidiary to Arnest Group, a Russian manufacturer of perfume, cosmetics and household products, for an undisclosed amount.

Unilever said its business in Russia’s close ally Belarus was included in the sale.

“The completion of the sale ends Unilever Russia’s presence in the country,” Unilever CEO Hein Schumacher said in today’s statement.

He added that the sale “includes all of Unilever’s business in Russia and its four factories in the country”.

While strongly condemning Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Unilever joined other multinationals that decided to maintain operations in Russia, triggering widespread criticism.

Kyiv’s response had been to place Unilever on Ukraine’s “International Sponsors of War” list.