Oil major Royal Dutch Shell has announced that it will put profits from sale of Russian oil it bought into a charity fund to help Ukraine. The company, along with aid agencies, will work out where and how those funds could be best used to aid the Ukrainian people.

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Other major western companies have also extended a helping hand.

Accommodation

Airbnb’s non-profit arm Airbnb.org announced that it would offer free, temporary housing for up to 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine.

Also read: A look at brands, companies that exited Russia after its invasion of Ukraine

Nordic Choice hotels has offered free lodging in its Vilnius hotel and Poland's Arche Hotels said they had already put up 1,000 refugees and are preparing to lodge 5,000 more.

Tech

SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband service has been activated in Ukraine and the company is preparing to send more terminals, announced CEO Elon Musk.

Microsoft said it is trying to detect and alert the Ukrainian government about potential cyberattacks against the country in a bid to protect Ukraine’s finance sector, digital assets and other crucial sectors.

Also read: Ukraine: Nonviolent resistance is a brave and often effective response to aggression

Google disabled some Google Maps tools that provide live information about traffic conditions and show how busy streets are in Ukraine. The company said it is to protect the civilians and local communities trapped in Ukraine.

Telecom

About a dozen telecom providers are now providing free international calls to Ukraine. Some are also scrapping roaming charges in the country. These firms include AT&T, A1 Telekom Austria Group, Altice Portugal, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Proximus, Swisscom, Telefonica, Telenor, Telia Company, TIM, KPN, Vivacom and Vodafone.

Also read: Mastercard, Visa halt ops in Russia; its impact on Russian economy

Energy

French energy company Total Energies announced that it will provide fuel to the Ukrainian authorities and send aid to Ukrainian refugees in Europe.

Shell has also announced that it will donate the profits from selling Russian oil to a charity fund that will help Ukraine.

Food and personal health

Biedronka, Poland’s largest food retailer, announced that it would hire family members of its 1,800 Ukrainian employees and provide a 1,000-zloty ($233) grant to each of the employees. It has also pledged over $1 million to provide food, hygiene and cleaning products to refugees.

KFC and McDonald’s have shut operations in Ukraine due to safety concerns but have kept their kitchens open to provide aid and food for the people.

Also read: Global companies cut ties with Russia; will that achieve anything?

Jysk, a Danish home retailer, announced it will provide blankets and other items to the refugees in need from its stock.

Sweden's Medicover and Poland’s LuxMed are providing free medical assistance at the border.

L'Oreal, French cosmetics group, said it aimed to deliver 300,000 hygiene products to Ukraine in coming weeks.

Also read: Indian doctor trapped in Ukraine with pet jaguar and panther amid Russian siege: Report

US drugmaker Eli Lilly pledged over $9 million-worth of insulin and COVID-19 medicine supplies for aid organisations.

General Electric has pledged $4 million for medical equipment such as mobile x-ray units and ventilators.

(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)

First Published:Mar 7, 2022 5:58 PM IST