Condé Nast will stop publishing Vogue Russia and its other properties in the country – a move made in response to what the media giant’s top boss described as the Kremlin’s “senseless war” and implementation of strict censorship laws.

Chief executive Roger Lynch revealed the decision in a memo to staffers – noting the company had terminated its franchise agreement with Condé Nast Russia in response to the conflict.

“When Putin first began this senseless war, we knew we had to take immediate action to protect our employees and our journalism and decided to suspend our publishing operations in Russia,” Lynch said, referencing Condé Nast’s initial decision to suspend operations on March 9.