**McDonald’s Returns to Ukraine, Expanding Presence Amid Wartime Economy**
In a sign of confidence in Ukraine’s struggling but growing wartime economy, McDonald’s plans to open 10 new restaurants in the country this year. According to a report by The New York Times on June 28, this expansion will bring the total number of operating McDonald’s locations close to 120 – more than before the war.
This move indicates that despite the ongoing military actions, Ukraine’s economy is showing positive dynamics, said Viktor Mykyta, a top economic adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky. “If a business like McDonald’s can operate here, it shows any investors that they, too, can confidently work here,” he added.
McDonald’s closed all its locations in Ukraine after Russia launched the full-scale invasion in February 2022 but began reopening later that year. The expansion offers job opportunities and lucrative tax revenues – in 2024, McDonald’s paid over $60 million in taxes in Ukraine, making it the country’s largest taxpayer in the industry.
**Economic Growth Projected**
Ukraine’s economy is projected to grow by 3.3% this year, according to the European Bank for Development and Reconstruction (EBRD). While earlier projections showed over 4% growth, rising inflation and an economic slowdown exacerbated by Russian attacks on energy infrastructure and nationwide labor shortages brought the forecast down.
**Western Businesses Return**
Ukraine has been able to welcome back Western businesses that suspended operations at the start of the war, including Ikea, H&M, and Zara. McDonald’s expansion is seen as a positive sign for the country’s economy and its ability to attract foreign investment despite the ongoing conflict.
However, Russia’s war has presented challenges to McDonald’s operations in Ukraine. In January 2025, a Russian missile strike on Kyiv damaged Ukraine’s oldest McDonald’s. Many restaurants also do not offer breakfast due to frequent air raids. In March, the company relaunched its breakfast menu at six McDonald’s locations.
**Additional Developments**
In other news, Pope Leo XIV welcomed Ukrainian Greek Catholic pilgrims to the Vatican and offered his blessing to mothers of soldiers killed on the front lines. A former deputy head of Ukraine’s state agency for investments was arrested on charges of embezzling $3 million in funds meant for investment projects.
Ukrainian forces downed 21 out of 23 drones launched by Russia overnight, including Shahed-type attack drones and decoys. Russian drones hit a 21-story building, causing a fire that left residents trapped in their apartments. A couple was killed, and 14 others were injured, including three children.
The Ukrainian government and businesses now provide over 40% of the weapons used to defend the nation’s independence against Russia’s full-scale invasion, President Zelensky said on June 27. The president also signed a decree imposing sanctions on 52 Russian citizens and an additional 34 Russian companies involved in the production of Shahed-type drones.
**Read More**
For more information on these developments and other news from Ukraine, please visit kyivindependent.com.
