The Finnish fast food firm Hesburger said it plans to close all of its outlets in Russia and Belarus "as soon as possible".
In a press statement on Tuesday, Hesburger CEO Kari Salmela said that the chain plans to end operations in both countries during this summer, as many other international firms have done, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
However, many people in Finland have taken to social media to criticise the fast food chain's timeline as too slow.
"We will do our best to close the doors of the restaurants in Russia as soon as possible," Salmela said.
Hesburger has 38 restaurants in Russia and four in Belarus. The fast food chain also operates seven outlets in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
The company announced plans in early March to withdraw from Russia, but has so far only closed one of its stores.
Legal obligations
Food companies operating in Russia have different legal obligations than firms in other sectors, as they provide services that are considered essential to the public.
Salmela said the shuttering of outlets has been slow because the company is compelled to ensure the safety of local staff members and unable to withdraw without proper planning and negotiation.
On Monday, Finnish food firm Fazer announced it was facing hurdles in leaving its bakery operations in Russia, for similar reasons.
Dozens of Finnish companies have announced that they have withdrawn, or are withdrawing, from Russia since President Vladimir Putin's decided to launch a military attack on Ukraine just over a month ago.
In addition to Hesburger and other prominent Finnish brands, retailer S-Group and coffee firm Paulig have also announced plans to suspend operations in Russia.