Niantic is shutting down Pokémon Go operations in Russia and Belarus

Niantic is suspending sales, downloads, and gameplay for games like Pokémon Go in Russia and Belarus, joining an increasing sea of companies shutting down operations in the region.

The reason of course, is Russia's invasion of Ukraine that began on February 24. Belarus has also been implicated in several self-imposed sanctions against Russia for its role in providing a staging ground for the attack.

Shortly after the invasion began, Ukrainian vice prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov issued a call for "game development and esports platforms" to halt operations in Russia. Now it seems Niantic has has accepted his request.

"We stand with the global community in hoping for peace and a rapid resolution to the violence and suffering in Ukraine," Niantic wrote in a short statement. 

Though Pokémon Go is Niantic's biggest product, this does also mean that Ingress and Pikmin Bloom are also not available in the region.

The news comes after other major game companies including Microsoft, PlayStation, and CD Projekt (and mobile companies like Rovio, Zynga, and Supercell) suspended operations in Russia in solidarity with Ukraine.