Founded in 1831, Italian company De Cecco was the world's third-largest pasta producer by 2014. Its product line – which also includes olive oil, pasta sauces, and flours – can be found all over the globe, and the Russian war in Ukraine hasn't changed that. According to Yale's CELI List, De Cecco is continuing its Russian sales and operations.

Back in 2016, an interview with Mauro Moscardi, the director of four De Cecco Russian subsidiaries, revealed the Russian pasta market was the third largest after Italy and the US. At the time, the company was producing around 60 million kg (132 million pounds) of pasta in partnership with local Russian brands, as well as selling 1.4 million kg (3 million pounds) of imported own-brand products, every year.

Western products still on sale in Russia despite the Ukraine war