putin

President Vladimir Putin ups the ante and threatens more missile attacks on Ukraine after Russia hit Kyiv with an intense barrage of strikes.

“It was not possible to leave [Ukrainian attacks] unanswered. If attempts at terrorist attacks continue, the response from Russia will be severe and correspond to the level of threat,” Putin said on Monday at a televised meeting of his Security Council.

“Let there be no doubt about it.” 

The big story

Ukraine blasted a key bridge to the Crimean Peninsula over the weekend which is marked as Putin’s flagship project.

Putin launched attacks on Ukraine in February fearing that its neighbor Ukraine was leaning toward Western ideals and was a constant threat to Russia’s existence. 

Why it matters

It marks a dangerous new escalation since the war started. The world fears Putin may resort to nuclear weapons.

What Ukraine President Zelensky says

On his Telegram channel, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, “They are trying to destroy us and wipe us off the face of the Earth.” He urged Ukrainians to stay in bomb shelters as air-raid alerts echoed in every region of the country.

“Unfortunately there are dead and wounded.”

Four US corporations–McDonald’s, Starbucks, Coca-Cola and Pepsi are the latest companies suspending operations in Russia after President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine triggering a humanitarian crisis as over two million refugees flee to neighboring countries.

McDonald’s announced that all of its 850 Russian restaurants would close, temporarily.

Starbucks said it would suspend all Russian business activity, including the shipment of its products.

Pepsi announced it will suspend Pepsi-Cola, 7UP and its Mirinda brands, and all of its advertising and promotional activities but will continue to sell baby formula, milk and baby food.

In recent days, Pepsi, Coke, Starbucks and McDonald’s faced backlash for their continued operation in Russia amid the war, prompting them to suspend business.

Twitter has been rife with hashtags like #BoycottPepsi and #BoycottCocaCola. Some businesses, however, continue to operate–Papa John’s, Nestle, and Marriot.

It is hoped that withdrawing operations will punish Putin and result in an end to its invasion of Ukraine.

The big picture

These companies have operated in Russia for many years. Pepsi has operated in Russia for more than 60 years.

McDonald’s opened its first location beyond the Iron Curtain in Moscow, just months before the Soviet Union collapsed.

Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and his research team at the Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute have compiled a list of nearly 300 corporations that have withdrawn from Russia. Some include American Airlines, Airbnb, Bentley, Boeing, Burberry, Carnival, Chanel, Dell, eBay, FedEx, H&M, JP Morgan, Nike, Nintendo, Tiktok, TJ Max, and UPS.

One million people have fled Ukraine as Putin intensifies the attack, according to the United Nations.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, said in a Twitter post, “In just seven days we have witnessed the exodus of one million refugees from Ukraine to neighbouring countries.

“For many millions more, inside Ukraine, it’s time for guns to fall silent so that life-saving humanitarian assistance can be provided.”

Earlier Wednesday, the United Nations estimated that nearly 874,000 people fled Ukraine. That number spiked by Wednesday evening.

UNHCR revealed that the majority fled to Poland while other segments of the population headed to Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia and beyond.

Nearly 43,000 have also moved to Russia, according to reports.

UN says more than half fleeing Ukraine are children, escaping with families walking long distances in cold weather.

Tania, who is from the city of Chernivtsi, located in western Ukraine near the border with Romania, escaped with her sister Sophia, 19, and daughter Mia, 2, just days after Russia launched the military offensive on 24 February.

“The decision was taken in just a few moments because the situation in Ukraine is very hard and you don’t know what it will be the next minute,” she told UNICEF.

Photo credit: Washington Post