Intel and AMD have announced that Russia will be cut off from product shipments in response to the country’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The suspension will sever both Russia and Belarus’ consumer and data centre component supplies, which in turn could impact the region’s economy and military.
In a statement, Intel condemned Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and expressed support for those affected by the war. The company says it has raised over $1.2 million towards Ukrainian relief efforts, and it’s currently helping aid refugees in areas like Poland, Germany, and Romania.
An AMD representative has also confirmed to PCWorld that the company will suspend sales and distribution in Russia and Belarus, in line with existing sanctions placed on both countries by NATO and the European Union. AMD’s statement emphasises that the move will affect both products it produces and powers, meaning it’ll hamper more than just gaming PC components.
It’s worth noting that Intel and AMD components aren’t predominantly used in Russia, as the country uses its own ARM-based Balkai processors when it comes to military and networking. However, Russia relies on the world’s largest contract chipmaker, TSMC, when it comes to fabrication, and it’s only a matter of time before the Taiwanese semiconductor firm imposes its own sanctions, severely hampering the country’s ability to produce chips.
Ongoing component shortages have already affected technology on a global scale, and the industry-wide action could worsen the situation for Russia and its allies. While graphics cards and consumer CPUs hardly matter given the situation, a localised semiconductor deficit could have a knock-on effect when it comes to the production of cars, appliances, and military equipment, ultimately putting more strain on Vladimir Putin’s government as it continues with acts of aggression.