Disney halts film releases in Russia over Ukraine invasion

Disney announced Monday it is suspending the release of its films in theaters in Russia after Moscow´s assault on Ukraine, following the example of other major companies choosing to pull out of the country.

"Given the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis, we are pausing the release of theatrical films in Russia, including the upcoming ´Turning Red´ from Pixar," the US entertainment giant said in a statement.

"We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation. In the meantime, given the scale of the emerging refugee crisis, we are working with our NGO partners to provide urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance to refugees," it said.

Several multinationals have already distanced themselves from Russia since the invasion was launched last week.

Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft took steps on Monday to limit the dissemination of information from news outlets affiliated with the Russian government.

More drastically, British oil companies BP and Shell have announced that they are dumping their shares in joint projects with Russian oil groups.