According to a study by Ukraine's Kyiv School of Economics, more than 460 international companies have ceased operations in Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 by selling or liquidating their assets. According to the study, 59 global brands have left the Russian market.

Twenty-five of these companies are keeping their trademarks registered in Russia, DW learned from the database of Rospatent, the national patent office.

Maintaining the trademark means the names, logos and designs of a brand remain the company's intellectual property and cannot be used or imitated by others.

If someone mentions McDonald's, you probably think of the famous golden arches logo. With Mercedes, it would be the iconic three-pointed star. With Ikea, it's the company name in blue letters within a yellow oval shape.

The companies that are keeping their trademarks registered include Ikea, McDonald's and Mercedes-Benz, as well as the likes of Jaguar, Volvo and many others.

The other 34 companies of the 59 global brands — which include German consumer goods and adhesives........

© Deutsche Welle