U.S. companies are enlisting former military and law enforcement professionals to help employees in Ukraine navigate congested roads and train stations to slip across the border to safety.
The secretive and often dangerous work, supported by a phalanx of de facto travel agents working phones and PCs, highlights the efforts by employers worldwide -- from big banks and law firms to technology companies and nonprofits -- to get their people out of a war zone.
Many of the world’s best-known brands have halted operations in the region or cut ties completely in recent days, after Russia’s attack on Ukraine brought widespread condemnation and economic sanctions. While some employees already have fled, the pullback has left those who remain in a difficult spot, particularly with most air travel and financial transactions suspended.
Banking giant Citigroup Inc. said last week that it’s helping some of its workers seek refuge in Poland. Apple Inc.’s Tim Cook said in a staff memo that “in Ukraine, we have been in contact with every employee, assisting them and their families in any way we can.” Many others are offering to continue paying their workers.
“We have found mercenaries who are willing to take vans of people,” Visa Inc. Chief Executive Officer Al Kelly said at a conference this week, describing the harrowing efforts to rescue workers. The financial firm, which has about 155 employees based in Ukraine and about 210 in Russia, has helped dozens get out.
“We have security in...
Ukrainian General Staff spokesperson Andriy Kovalov dismissed Russian military chief Valery Gerasimov's claims of advances toward Kramatorsk and Zaporizhzhia and the capture of several settlements...