I think you did a good job grounding your fact-check in primary sources like IKEA’s official site and the Ingka Centres announcement, that strengthened your argument. I agree with you that the registration of a new trademark doesn't automatically mean IKEA is reopening in Russia, especially since "the company has not commented on the situation" publicly. That’s an important distinction that a lot of people miss. One thing you might want to add is that companies often file trademarks to protect their brand, not necessarily because they plan to operate there again. Also, while Moscow Times is usually reliable, Izvestia has a closer relationship with the Russian government, so it’s smart you didn’t rely too heavily on it without cross-verifying. Your conclusion that the claim is false for now, pending official confirmation, seems really reasonable.
