The Impact of Sanctions on the Level of ESG Transparency in russian Companies after the Start of the Special Military Operation

   Under the conditions of sanctions restrictions, there has been a change in the ESG involvement and ESG transparency of Russian companies. At the same time, the nature of such changes, as well as the impact of sanctions, ownership structure and industry affiliation, remains insufficiently studied. The article examines the level of ESG transparency of Russian business before and after the start of a special military operation in 2022, considering the ownership structure and industry affiliation of companies. The study sample includes ESG transparency estimates for 75 Russian public companies for the period from 2021 to 2023. According to the results of the study, it was revealed that after the start of the special military operation, there was a decrease in the level of information transparency in all three ESG aspects, especially in terms of social information and corporate governance information. In addition, it was found that the change in the level of ESG transparency varies depending on the ownership structure and industry affiliation. The results obtained can be used by investors, creditors and other stakeholder groups when making decisions about cooperation with certain companies, taking into account the specifics related to the capital structure and business profile.