Russia seizes assets of Nestlé and French firms over West’s Ukraine support
Nestlé says it is assessing its options while seeking to protect employees and business continuity in Russia.
In a move defended by the Kremlin as justified, Russian authorities seized the assets of Swiss food giant Nestlé and three French firms on Friday. President Vladimir Putin signed a decree transferring Russian operations of Nestlé, French retailer Auchan, and DIY chain Lemana Pro, now called Lemana Pro, to a company called LEV Management.
Additionally, the decree covers the Russian subsidiaries of French logistics group FM Logistic. Novaya Gazeta Europe reported that LEV Management was established late in 2025 and is headed by a Russian interior ministry general, with no known business activity. The latest action follows a series of forced asset transfers against Western firms in response to sanctions over Russia's war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year.
Western companies have largely sold their Russian operations or scaled back significantly due to the sanctions. Nestlé, with six factories in Russia and around 7,000 employees, expressed its commitment to protecting its rights and business operations. Analysts estimate that a write-off of Nestlé's Russia business could cost the Swiss firm around one billion francs ($1.2 billion).
Auchan, a major retailer with 241 stores and 33,000 employees in Russia, requested clarifications from Russian authorities regarding the decree.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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