On Reddit user shared a photo of a fridge stuffed full of Macca's burgers, claiming their friend in Russia had stocked up when the fast food giant announced it was closing.
The post got thousands of comments, some people joking it was the "hoarder pounder" burger and was a sound investment if the friend wanted to resell the burgers given their long shelf life.
But others said it was an indication of just how bleak life had become for ordinary Russians who had no say in President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine.
On Twitter, many said the closure of McDonald's would be a blow to Russians as the company's first restaurant opening in 1990 was seen by many as having marked the beginning of the end of the USSR.
"As trivial as it is, McDonald's closing down in Russia is very symbolic," Varia Bortsova shared in a now-viral tweet.
"When the first restaurant opened in Moscow in 1990, my parents joined a line of 30,000 people to get in. For most Russians it was the first glimpse of what eating out could be like over the Iron Curtain."
Loophole that means McDonald's could reopen
Russia this week issued a decree ending patent protections for companies based in countries that were "unfriendly" towards Russia, The Washington Post reported.
The country is also considering lifting restrictions on intellectual property "contained in certain goods whose supply to Russia is restricted", which could include company trademarks.
Intellectual property solicitor Josh Gerban told the Post getting rid of trademark protections means Russia could "take those McDonald's that got shut down and … just let local operators operate the restaurants and call them McDonald's".
'Unspeakable suffering' forces Macca's closure
In an email to staff on Tuesday, McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski said the food giant would cease operations in Russia.
The decision came after days of increasing pressure over its decision to stay open in Russia.
There had been "unspeakable suffering to innocent people" and McDonald's joined "the world in condemning aggression and violence", he said.
While McDonald's was continuing to pay full salaries to its Ukrainian staff, it had made the decision to stop operating "temporarily" in Russia.
"We understand the impact this will have on our Russian colleagues and partners, which is why we are prepared to support all three legs of the stool in Ukraine and Russia," Kempczinski said.
"This includes salary continuation for all McDonald's employees in Russia."
