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A Russian fast food restaurant chain will replace McDonald’s in Russia after all 847 outlets there closed down.

The new Russian entity, Uncle Vanya, has filed for a trademark registration with Russian authorities, according to media reports.

The new logo of the Russian franchise is apparently modelled on the Cyrillic “B”, which refers to the “V” in Uncle Vanya.

However, its uncanny resemblance to McDonald’s branding is hard to miss.

Since the Chicago-based fast-food giant shuttered its nearly 850 stores in Russia last week amid the war in Ukraine, fears have circulated that Russian parties might try to infringe on McDonald’s trademark.

It's happening.

Say hello to "Uncle Vanya's" https://t.co/HhQSRZzI9V

— A.D. Quig (@ad_quig) March 16, 2022

Uses Russian ingredients

Domestic chains could replace the 250 McDonald’s restaurants in the Russian capital within a year, the mayor of Moscow said, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency.

He was reported as saying that Uncle Vanya uses 99 per cent of their ingredients that would be Russian and preferable to the United States brand.

Moscow's city council was said to have awarded 500 million rubles (S$6.6 million) to domestic fast food chains.

No idea when McDonald's will return to Russia

“Our values mean we cannot ignore the needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine,” McDonald’s president and CEO Chris Kempczinski said in an open letter to employees to address the the pull-out.

The Chicago-based burger giant said it would continue paying its 62,000 employees in Russia “who have poured their heart and soul into our McDonald’s brand”.

Kempczinski said it was impossible to know when the company will be able to reopen in Russia.

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