Russia closes 12 McDonald\\\'s branches

MOSCOW, Aug 30  (AFP) : Russia has temporarily closed 12 branches of McDonald's on health grounds and is carrying out more than 100 inspections, the US fast food chain said Friday.

Russia has cracked down on McDonald's this month, closing three other branches of the hugely popular burger chain over alleged hygiene violations in a move widely seen as a retaliation against Western sanctions over Ukraine.

McDonald's said in a statement that 12 restaurants have now been closed by the authorities, seven of them in southern Russia, and "currently more than 100 inspections are being carried out".

The company said it is looking at the alleged violations to work out how to reopen the restaurants as soon as possible.

Courts on Wednesday ordered three branches closed for the maximum period of three months on health grounds, including two in central Moscow, in decisions that McDonald's said it would appeal.

McDonald's has over 400 restaurants in Russia with more than 37,000 employees.