Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC has announced a £175mn post‑tax loss from the sale of its Russian hygiene business, which sold brands such as Vanish and Dettol. The assets were sold to Arnest Management for an undisclosed amount, completing a process that began in 2022 to transfer ownership of the Russian operation.

The sale follows a pattern of western firms divesting Russian assets after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. In 2024, Arnest bought Unilever’s Russian business for €520mn after acquiring Heineken NV’s Russian operations. Reckitt will retain its health business in Russia, which includes Nurofen for Children, Strepsils, Durex and Gaviscon, and accounts for a larger share of the group’s revenue.

EU sanctions last year stopped Reckitt from shipping cleaning products to Russia, cutting the hygiene arm to just 1% of group revenue. The company said the headwind from sanctions has dulled first‑quarter emerging‑market sales, which rose 7.6% versus an expected 10.7%.

The company expects the sale to complete in the second half of 2026, pending regulatory approval, and has earmarked about £125mn of the loss to be recognised in the first six months of the year.