McDonald's has suspended work at its restaurants in Crimea for "manufacturing reasons", the U.S. fast food chain said on Friday. 

This is the second international company to cease operations this week on the peninsula annexed by Russia.

McDonald's, which operates three restaurants - in Crimea in Sevastopol, Yalta and Simferopol - said it hoped to resume work as soon as possible, but offered to help relocate staff to Ukraine, signalling it did not expect its Crimean business to reopen in the near future.

"The company has provided an opportunity to all employees ... to transfer to any other McDonald's restaurants in Ukraine preserving their positions, salaries and fees and paying to relocate employees and their families," it said in a statement.

The closures follow Geneva-based Universal Postal Deutsche Post's announcement that it was no longer accepting letters bound for Crimea as delivery to the region was no longer guaranteed.

Meanwhile, the Russian MP and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, suggested that McDonald's be shut down in entire Russia, because its food is unhealthy.

“Then we shall get rid of Pepsi Cola, too,” Zhirinovsky said, quoted by Argumenti I Fakti.