McDonald’s temporarily closes all its Russian locations in response to invasion of Ukraine

Fast food giant McDonald’s announced on Tuesday it will temporarily shut down all its 850 locations in Russia in response to Moscow’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

The latest corporation to pull its business from Russia, McDonald’s cited “needless human suffering” and “unspeakable suffering to innocent people” in Ukraine as its reason for shutting down its Russian locations. The restaurant has taken heat since the war started for its silence on the conflict.

The corporation also detailed its assistance efforts in the war. “The Company has provided immediate financial support to our team in Ukraine. We are continuing to pay full salaries for our Ukrainian employees and have donated $5 million to our Employee Assistance Fund, and continue to support relief efforts led by the International Red Cross in the region,” the statement reads.

The company also spoke of its refugee efforts in the region. “The Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Poland Care Mobile is at the Polish-Ukrainian border to provide medical care and humanitarian aid for families and children, and another Care Mobile is on the way from RMHC Latvia.”

“Additionally, RMHC Ukraine is deploying medical supplies and providing humanitarian aid throughout the country, and its programs are being repurposed for use by hospital personnel.”