Russia's PR and communications industry underwent a structural rupture in February 2022 that has not reversed. The full-scale invasion of Ukraine triggered one of the most rapid exits of Western communications agencies from any market in the industry's modern history. Understanding what the market looks like now requires separating what existed before from what exists today.
What Happened in 2022
Within weeks of Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, virtually every major Western PR agency withdrew from the Russian market or suspended operations with Russian state-affiliated clients:
- Burson (then BCW and Hill & Knowlton) — Suspended Russian operations.
- Weber Shandwick — Withdrew from Russia.
- Edelman — Severed Russian operations.
- FleishmanHillard — Exited.
- MSL (Publicis) — Withdrew.
- Ketchum — Had previously ended its long-running relationship with the Russian government in 2015 following Crimea; fully exited.
The exits were near-total. No major Western network agency currently maintains an active Russia presence in any meaningful commercial capacity.
What Exists Now
The Russian PR market that remains is primarily domestic. Local Russian-owned agencies continue to operate — serving domestic brands, state-affiliated enterprises, and the companies that did not exit Russia. International communications into Russia is largely handled through non-Western networks: Russian-owned agencies, Chinese communications firms, and regional operators from Central Asia and the Middle East.
Western companies that retained Russia operations — primarily for legal, energy, or humanitarian reasons — typically use local Russian agencies or handle communications in-house rather than through international PR firms.
Communications About Russia (Not Into Russia)
The more active area of "Russia PR" for Western clients is communications about Russia — crisis communications around Russia exposure, investor relations addressing Russian asset write-downs, reputation management for companies that had significant Russian operations, and geopolitical communications strategy. These assignments go to crisis specialists and international corporate communications firms, not Moscow-based agencies.
The firms most active in this category include Sard Verbinnen, Brunswick Group, Joele Frank, FGS Global, and Kekst CNC — all profiled in EPR's PR Agency Profiles Directory under Financial Communications & M&A Advisory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there PR firms that still work in Russia? Not among the major Western networks. Local Russian-owned agencies continue to operate domestically. Any Western firm currently servicing Russian state-affiliated clients would face significant reputational, legal, and regulatory risk depending on jurisdiction.
Which agencies left Russia after 2022? All major Western networks — Burson, Weber Shandwick, Edelman, FleishmanHillard, MSL, and others — exited or suspended Russian operations following the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Ketchum had previously ended its Russian government work in 2015.
What if I need communications support for Russia-related issues? For geopolitical communications, Russia exposure risk, or crisis management related to Russian operations, the relevant firms are the major crisis and financial communications specialists — not Russia-specific agencies. See EPR's coverage of Top Crisis PR Firms in 2026.
Is there a sanctions risk for PR firms working with Russian clients? Yes, in multiple jurisdictions. U.S., EU, and UK sanctions frameworks restrict business with designated Russian entities and individuals. Any PR firm considering Russian-adjacent work must conduct rigorous legal review. This is a legal matter, not a PR question.
→ Top Crisis PR Firms in 2026 — for geopolitical and high-stakes crisis communications.
→ PR Agency Profiles Directory — EPR's full global directory.
