McDonald's has announced that it will be permanently closing its restaurants in Russia.
The fast food giant had previously shut its 850 outlets in March temporarily after Russian forces invaded Ukraine.
Now, the chain has said that these closures will be permanent as the invasion continues and more atrocities committed by Russian soldiers against Ukrainian civilians are uncovered.
McDonald's has said it made the decision due to the "humanitarian crisis" and "unpredictable operating environment".
The opening of the first McDonald's in Russia was some 32 years ago in 1990 during the final moments of the Soviet Union.
It became a moment that was symbolic of a thawing of decades long Cold War tensions as the iconic American company opened its doors.
The Soviet Union collapsed only one year after the restaurant opened, with other western companies soon putting down roots as the Russian Federation began a new era.
Now however, the iconic company has pulled out of the country amidst increasing humanitarian concerns both within Russia and in its invasion of Ukraine.
In a message to staff and suppliers, that was obtained by The New York Times, McDonald's chief executive Chris Kempczinski said: "This is a complicated issue that's without precedent and with profound consequences.
"Some might argue that providing access to food and continuing to employ tens of thousands of ordinary citizens, is surely the right thing to do.
"But it is impossible to ignore the humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. And it is impossible to imagine the Golden Arches representing the same hope and promise that led us to enter the Russian market 32 years ago."
The company will now begin the process of "de-arching" the restaurants. This involves removing the name, logo, and menu, though it will retain its trademarks in Russia.
McDonald's has also said that a priority will be to ensure that the 62,000 employees continue to be paid until any subsequent sale was completed and also make sure that they had "future employment with any potential buyer"
It added that it will write off a charge of as much as $1.4bn (£1.1bn) to cover the exit from its investment.
The food giant is the latest in a flurry of companies which are pulling their operations out of Russia as a result of the invasion of Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis which is now unfolding both in Ukraine and in Russia.
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