Microsoft will suspend Russian companies from accessing cloud services as part of the EU sanction package.
The twelfth package of sanctions, adopted in December 2023, prohibits companies from supplying enterprise or design software, including cloud-based solutions, to companies registered in Russia.
In a private Telegram channel set up by Softline, a distributor of Microsoft products in Russia, the company confirmed receipt of a letter from Microsoft that detailed the suspension of access to data from cloud products.
Microsoft explained in the letter that it must comply with EU regulations and terminate subscriptions accordingly. The letter read: “After March 20, 2024, you will no longer be able to access these Microsoft products or services, or any data stored in them.”
Russian publication RBC reported Svetlana Ascheulova, Softline PR director, said other global cloud providers such as Amazon and Google will also soon suspend their cloud services and urged local companies to switch to local providers.
In another statement released by Softline, the company said it was in discussions with Microsoft to postpone the suspension until the end of the month. Softline also published a list of products due to be suspended in Russia, including Power BI, Microsoft Azure, OneDrive, and PowerShell.
The ban also affects engineering software, such as computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing. The sanctions do not affect Microsoft Office and the Windows operating system.
Forbes Russia reported that other tech companies, such as Tele2, have confirmed receipt of the warning email. Tele2 said the suspension will not impact its clients, as they have replaced all Microsoft products.
Microsoft, which does not own any data centers within Russia, announced in March 2022 that it would suspend all new sales of Microsoft products and services in Russia. At the time, Oracle and SAP had suspended all operations in Russia.
In August 2023, Microsoft announced it would stop renewing subscriptions and licenses for its products in Russia. Amazon also announced in August 2022 that it would no longer accept sign-ups for its AWS from Russia and Belarus.
