Airbnb CEO Suspends Airbnb Operations In Russia And Belarus

JAKARTA - Airbnb ceases operations in Russia and Belarus. This news was announced by Airbnb CEO, Brian Chesky, via his Twitter account. "Airbnb is suspending all operations in Russia and Belarus", Brian wrote on Friday, March 4.

According to Reuters, the suspension of operations of digital home rental service platforms in Russia and Belarus includes 90,000 active short-term rentals on various platforms in Russia and more than 1,800 in Belarus.

Chesky said this step was taken because Russia invaded Ukraine. On Monday, Airbnb offered about 100,000 free housing to Ukrainian refugees who fled to European countries including Poland, Germany, Hungary, and Romania.

As The Guardian reports, Airbnb users have also taken matters into their own hands. They buy or rent apartments from Airbnb in Ukraine, to help residents facing severe economic hardship.

"My wife and I just booked your apartment for a week, but of course, we won't be visiting. This is just so they can receive some money", one user wrote to an Airbnb tenant in Ukraine.

Additionally, Airbnb has also agreed to waive guest and host fees for all bookings in the country. More than a million refugees have fled the country since the Russian invasion began. According to the United Nations, some four million people were eventually able to leave.