M&S halts shipments to Turkish franchisee's Russian business
A sign is displayed outside a Marks & Spencer store in London, Britain, Jan. 7, 2016. (Reuters Photo)


British food and clothing retailer Marks & Spencer has suspended shipments to its Turkish franchisee’s Russian business following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it said on Thursday.

FiBA Group has worked in partnership with the United Kingdom-based retailer since 1999. It operates 48 M&S stores in Russia and 10 in Ukraine as well as stores in Turkey.

On Wednesday, British online fashion retailers ASOS and Boohoo said they had suspended sales in Russia, joining a growing list of companies shunning the country.

M&S said it was building on its existing support for UNICEF U.K.’s Ukraine appeal with a 1.5 million-pound ($2.0 million package of aid.

Russia's war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has been met with international outrage, with the European Union, United States and U.K., among others, implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

Russian forces shelled Europe’s largest nuclear plant early Friday, sparking a fire as they pressed their attack on a crucial energy-producing Ukrainian city and gained ground in their bid to cut off the country from the sea.

The attack on the eastern city of Enerhodar and its Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant came as the invasion entered its second week and another round of talks between Russia and Ukraine yielded a tentative agreement to set up safe corridors to evacuate citizens and deliver humanitarian aid.