McDonald’s plans phased reopening in Ukraine

McDonald's announced plans Thursday for a  "phased" partial reopening of restaurants in Ukraine, where operations have been shuttered since February due to the Russian invasion.

The US burger chain will  "reopen some restaurants in Kyiv and western Ukraine, where other businesses have safely reopened," Paul Pomroy, senior vice president for international operated markets, said in a message to employees.

Pomroy cited requests from the company's Ukrainian employees for the relaunch to signify  "a small but important sense of normalcy" in the besieged country.

McDonald's suspended its operations in Ukraine on February 24 following the Russian siege of the country.

The company has continued to pay salaries of more than 10,000 employees since then, Pomroy said.