Shell has pledged to donate profits from Russian oil sales to Ukraine, and Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite broadband service has been activated in the war-torn country, among other humanitarian efforts by top Western companies.
Oil company Royal Dutch Shell has announced that it will donate the profits from the sale of Russian oil to a charity fund to help Ukraine. The company will work with aid agencies to figure out where and how those funds can best be used to help the people of Ukraine.
Other large Western companies also extended a helping hand.
Airbnb.org, the nonprofit behind Airbnb, has announced it will offer free temporary housing to up to 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine.
Nordic Choice Hotels offered a free night at its Vilnius hotel, while Poland’s Arche Hotels said it had already accommodated 1,000 refugees and was preparing to accommodate another 5,000.
SpaceX’s satellite broadband service Starlink has been activated in Ukraine and the company is preparing to send more terminals, CEO Elon Musk announced.
Microsoft said it tries to detect and alert the Ukrainian government about potential cyberattacks against the country in order to protect Ukraine’s financial sector, digital assets and other critical sectors.
Google has disabled some Google Maps tools that provide real-time information about traffic conditions and show how busy Ukrainian streets are. The company said it was designed to protect civilians and local communities trapped in Ukraine.
About a dozen telecommunication service providers now provide free international calls to Ukraine. Some also waive in-country roaming charges. These companies include AT&T, A1 Telekom Austria Group, Altice Portugal, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Proximus, Swisscom, Telefonica, Telenor, Telia Company, TIM, KPN, Vivacom and Vodafone.
French energy company Total Energies has announced it will supply fuel to Ukrainian authorities and send aid to Ukrainian refugees in Europe.
Shell also announced that it will donate profits from Russian oil sales to a charity that will help Ukraine.
Biedronka, Poland’s largest food retailer, has announced that it will hire family members of its 1,800 Ukrainian employees and give each employee a grant of 1,000 zlotys ($233). She also pledged more than $1 million to provide refugees with food, hygiene and cleaning supplies.
KFC and McDonald’s have suspended operations in Ukraine due to security concerns, but have kept their kitchens open to provide aid and food to people.
Danish home retailer Jysk has announced it will provide blankets and other items from its stock to refugees in need.
Swedish Medicover and Polish LuxMed provide free medical assistance at the border.
The French cosmetics group L’Oreal announced that it intends to deliver 300,000 hygiene products to Ukraine in the coming weeks.
US drugmaker Eli Lilly has pledged to donate more than $9 million worth of insulin and COVID-19 drugs to aid organizations.
General Electric pledged $4 million for medical equipment such as mobile X-ray machines and ventilators.
(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
First published: in 2022 March 7 17:58 IST
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