Carlsberg has suspended production at its breweries in Ukraine as tensions with neighbouring Russia escalate into combat. The brewer, which is the second largest in Ukraine, confirmed to Just Drinks today that of its three production facilities in the country, two have been closed temporarily “to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our employees”. The pair are located in Zaporizhzhya in the south-east and in the capital, Kyiv. Carlsberg’s third brewery, in Lviv, is the furthest from the current front line and is closed at the moment “due to disruption in the supply of natural gas”. “We are following the situation with great concern and have no further comment at this point,” the spokesperson added. When asked about the expected impact of sanctions on Russia, where Carlsberg owns the Baltika Breweries operator Baltic Beverages Holding, the spokesperson said the group foresees a wider impact on the local economy than specifically on brewers. “Carlsberg operates a local company in Russia,” the spokesperson noted. “We have local production and most of our suppliers are locally based. “Consequently, we are less exposed to the current set of sanctions.” Russian forces commenced an invasion of Ukraine earlier today after President Vladimir Putin recognised two separatist-controlled regions of the country this week. According to GlobalData, Carlsberg has annual volumes in the region of around 92.3m hectolitres, just behind Anheuser-Busch InBev with 94.3m. What’s coming up in beer in 2022? - Click here for Just Drinks' predictions for the year ahead