Russia-Ukraine war: US ‘set to send further $800m in military aid to Kyiv’

People in Moscow who were disappointed when Starbucks closed its coffee shops after Russia sent troops into Ukraine may now feel a caffeine jolt of hope: a nearly identical coffee shop is opening in the capital.

The name is almost the same: Stars Coffee. The logo could be the twin of the Starbucks mermaid, with flowing hair, a small enigmatic smile and a star atop her head – though instead of a Starbucks crown she wears a Russian headdress called a kokoshnik.

The menu, judging by the company app introduced a day before the store’s formal opening on Friday, would look familiar to any Starbucks customer.

Seattle-based Starbucks was one of the most visible of the wave of foreign companies that pulled out of Russia or suspended their operations in response to Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. Others include McDonald’s, IKEA and fast-fashion giant H&M.

Starbucks said on Thursday it had no comment on the new stores.