Airbnb suspends operations in Russia, Belarus due to fighting in Ukraine

March 4 (UPI) -- Property rental company Airbnb has suspended all operations in Russia and Belarus -- where there are more than 100,000 short-term Airbnb listings -- due to Moscow's war in Ukraine, the firm's co-founder said.

San Francisco-based Airbnb has expressed support for Ukraine since Russian forces crossed the border and started fighting a week ago.

Co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky made the announcement to end operations in the two countries, which are allies in the fight against Ukraine, in a tweet late Thursday.

Russian and Belarusian posts were immediately blocked and users are no longer able to book reservations anywhere.

Earlier on Thursday, Chesky retweeted a post that also said that users have been booking rooms in Ukraine, where Airbnb is still operating, with no intention of staying in them. The idea is to give the Ukrainian hosts immediate and direct financial support.

Airbnb also said it's waiving all hosting fees in Ukraine.

Earlier this week, Airbnb said it would provide housing at no cost for as many as 100,000 Ukrainian refugees who have been displaced by the fighting. United Nations officials said on Thursday that more than a million Ukrainians have fled to other nations since the Russian invasion began.