Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is causing McDonald’s to shut down its locations in Russia. McDonald’s was one of the first Western businesses to open in Russia. 30,000 people were there when the first location was opened in Moscow in January of 1990. The opening of the McDonald’s showed a change in the world after decades of tension due to the Cold War. 

There are 847 McDonald’s in Russia. There are also 62,000 employees working at these locations. 

McDonald’s is selling its restaurants in Russia to Alexander Govor who operates 25 of the locations in Siberia. Govor will rebrand the restaurants. The 62,000 employees will continue to be paid. 

When Russia’s invasion of Ukraine initially started, McDonald’s made the decision to close the restaurants for two weeks, but eventually decided to permanently shut down in Russia. The temporary shutdown was in March 2022. 

On May 16, 2022, McDonald’s Corporation announced, “After more than 30 years of operations in the country, McDonald’s Corporation announced it will exit the Russian market and has initiated a process to sell its Russian business…The humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, and the precipitating unpredictable operating environment, have led McDonald’s to conclude that continued ownership of the business in Russia is no longer tenable, nor is it consistent with McDonald’s values.”