Ukranian Situation Leads To Russian Retreat for Wedel

A well-known Netherlands-based provider of broadcast software products to radio and television companies has agreed to suspend all of its operations in Russia.

The decision was sparked by the ongoing war in Ukraine, which saw the Russian military destroy the main broadcast communications tower in Kyiv, the nation’s capital.

Raoul Wedel, CEO of Wedel Software, confirmed via LinkedIn on Friday that his company will be putting a halt to all of its Russian operations. “Today’s news out of Tsjernihiv and Borodyanka is heartbreaking and are all war crimes,” Wedel said of Russian military incidents that prompted him to stop his company’s activities in Russia. “No company, person or organization should financially support a regime deliberately killing innocent civilians.”

Roughly 20 employees are impacted. “We are sad that the freedoms promised in the 90s did not prevail,” Wedel added.

Via e-mail communication, Wedel confirmed to Weekly Tech Roundup that his company has had a portion of its research and development in Russia for eight years. Interestingly, prior to that it was in Ukraine, for five years. “I have been in the region many times and have many friends an connections there,” he said. “The decision was on one hand heartbreaking, and on the other hand I feel we have no choice. People must unite against these war crimes. We have employees in Donetsk, Rostov on Don, Moscow, and St. Petersburg. None of them support this war and they are just trying to provide for their families. One is actually emigrating because he does not want to pay taxes to the government.”

Wedel notes that the decision will not impact his company in the short term. But, he added, “We will need to regroup our R&D in the near future. Even if the war were to end soon, the country will remain unstable and sanctioned as long as Putin is in power. I hope this story will make more companies consider cutting all their ties with Russia.”