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Everton have suspended with immediate effect all commercial and sponsorship arrangements with Russian companies following the invasion of Ukraine.

USM, Megafon and Yota are all linked to Alisher Usmanov, an oligarch with links to Vladimir Putin. Usmanov, who was born in Uzbekistan but is a Russian citizen, is not on the Goodison Park board nor is he involved in the running of the club.

He is a business partner of Everton's majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri, the pair's relationship dating back to before the Iranian billionaire took a controlling stake in the club in February 2016. Moshiri is yet to make any comment about the situation.

But Everton – who made clear their anti-war stance before Saturday's 1-1 draw with Manchester City – are aware of the scrutiny they are under and have put a stop to their links with the three companies that Usmanov has stakes in.

USM had sponsored the club's Finch Farm training base since signing a five-year deal in 2017 but the process is now underway to remove all branding from the facility. 

USM also paid £30million in January 2020 with the option of securing naming rights for Everton's new stadium at Bramley Dock.