British oil giant Shell says it will stop buying crude oil, liquefied natural gas, and all other energy products from Russia "in a phased manner."

Shell announced on Tuesday that it will stop all spot purchases of Russian crude oil immediately. It also said that it will shut its service stations in Russia.

The company announced on February 28 that it had decided to exit the Sakhalin-2 LNG development project in Russia's far east, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

But Shell came under fire when it was revealed that the company had purchased Russian crude oil after the announcement.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba strongly criticized Shell for purchasing the oil.

Shell released a statement. In it, Chief Executive Officer Ben van Beurden said the company is acutely aware that its decision to purchase Russian crude oil was not the right one. He added, "We are sorry."

Van Beurden also said, "These societal challenges highlight the dilemma between putting pressure on the Russian government over its atrocities in Ukraine and ensuring stable, secure energy supplies across Europe."