Vetropack has suspended glass production at its Ukraine manufacturing facility.
It said a safe production environment for its employees at the Vetropack Gostomel facility near Kyiv was no longer possible due to today's military action.
Johann Reiter, CEO of Vetropack Holding, said: "In the present situation, for safety reasons, we are no longer able to maintain the structured and secure operation of a glass factory not far from the capital Kyiv."
Production of glass packaging requires continuous supplies of electricity and gas, as well as very high temperatures.
Military action in the surrounding area creates the danger of interruptions to the energy supply, which would be a major risk for the on-site workforce.
The container glass manufacturer said it was not considering a permanent closure of the site, which covers an area of almost 230,000 m2.
"We expect to resume production as soon as the situation eases," Mr Reiter added.
In recent weeks, Vetropack's management responded to the worsening political situation by collaborating with the plant management in Gostomel to develop a crisis plan that is now being implemented.
The 600 or so employees at the site were informed about all the next steps this morning. They are being temporarily released from work on full pay.
"We are in direct contact with our customers in Ukraine and other countries that purchase our products. We will keep them updated on further steps," said Pavel Prinko, General Manager of the Business Unit Ukraine/Republic of Moldova.
Vetropack manufactures various types of glass packaging in Ukraine, with three furnaces and eight production lines.
The Gostomel site is one of the Vetropack Group's nine European production plants. Glass has been manufactured there since 1912.
The Vetropack Group acquired the facility in 2006 as part of its continuous growth strategy.
