Anatoliy Reder, CEO of InterChem: “We are Ukrainians. We do not work with the enemy.”

According to research by Gradus Research and Deloitte, about 70% of Ukrainians have a negative attitude toward brands that continue operating in Russia.

Amid the ongoing war, the issue of economic ties with the aggressor remains especially sensitive and often becomes a tool for manipulation. Therefore, it is important to highlight companies that made a principled decision not to cooperate with the terrorist state long before the full-scale invasion.

One such company is InterChem, whose break with Russia began back in the 2000s. At that time, Russian entities registered one of InterChem’s best-known medicines in Russia and other CIS countries without the Odesa manufacturer’s permission, unfairly obtaining its technological documentation.

“They stole the technology and all the efforts we invested in this medicine. That was the end of our relations with Russia. Fortunately, the medicines we now produce in Ukraine are far superior in quality to that early version. We have significantly improved and essentially re-engineered the technology by implementing state-of-the-art methods of organic synthesis,” said InterChem CEO Anatoliy Reder.

When Russia launched its aggression in 2014, the manufacturer officially announced the termination of any business activity in the Russian Federation.

“We are Ukrainians. We do not work with the enemy,” emphasized the company’s head at the time.

Since then, InterChem has consistently supported the Ukrainian Armed Forces — in 2014–2015, the company’s assistance totaled around ₴15 million.

Later, in 2018, the Russian government imposed sanctions on several Ukrainian citizens and companies, including Anatoliy Reder, who remains personally sanctioned by Russia.

In 2022, the manufacturer also cut all ties with Belarus. At the same time, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, InterChem has significantly increased its support for Ukraine’s Defense Forces and war victims, contributing nearly ₴250 million between 2022 and 2024.

“Responsible volunteering, social accountability, and transparency at all levels are our guiding principles — now more than ever during the full-scale war. Trust from our consumers, and above all, honesty with ourselves, are our core values,” Reder added.