Feb 25, 2022 (Nikkei) - Japanese conglomerate Hitachi has put together evacuation plans for roughly 7,200 employees in Ukraine, Nikkei has learned, as the Russian invasion sets off a scramble by companies to ensure the safety of their workers.
Tech subsidiary GlobalLogic, which is headquartered in the U.S., has five locations in Ukraine that employ 7,200 engineers. Hitachi has made arrangements for those employees, mostly Ukrainian nationals, to be relocated to locations in Germany, Poland and other nearby countries.
"We are taking necessary action because the safety of the employees and their families is the overriding priority," a Hitachi manager said Thursday.
There are 57 Japanese companies operating in Ukraine as of January, according to business intelligence company Teikoku Databank. Automakers and other manufacturers make up about half the number at 28 companies.
The Japanese government is preparing to fly charter planes to countries near Ukraine for Japanese citizens who have relocated via overland routes.
Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimates there were about 120 Japanese nationals in Ukraine on Saturday. The number is down from more than 250 in December.
Major trading conglomerates have been relocating Japanese personnel away from Ukraine since late January. All employees at Itochu and Marubeni have been evacuated.
