{
  "id": 14967998,
  "title": "Putin hands French flooring giant Tarkett’s Russian assets to former regional official who fought in Ukraine. New owner asks journalists not to write about it.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/putin-hands-french-flooring-giant-tarketts-russian-assets-to-former",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-16T13:33:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Meduza (English)",
    "slug": "meduza-english",
    "url": "https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/10/16/putin-hands-french-flooring-giant-tarkett-s-russian-assets-to-former-regional-official-who-fought-in-ukraine-new-owner-asks-journalists-not-to-write-about-it"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Russian President Vladimir Putin recently transferred the Russian operations of French flooring company Tarkett and four other major companies, valued at 53 billion rubles, to Marat Mirkhaidarov, a former deputy premier of Zabaikalsky Krai. These assets are now under the management of Center Capital Management Company LLC. Mirkhaidarov, who served as deputy chairman of the Zabaikalsky Krai government until March 2025, volunteered to fight in the war against Ukraine in January 2024 with the Chechen battalion \"Akhmat\" and spent four months on the frontlines. He resigned following his service, citing the need to recuperate from a battlefield injury. Mirkhaidarov personally confirmed receiving the assets in a conversation with Agentstvo, stating that the decision was \"the political will of our president\" and that he was prepared to return the assets at Putin's request. He has asked journalists not to report on the transfer, stating that he wants to avoid giving his adversaries an opportunity to scrutinize the transfer and delve into his personal life. Mirkhaidarov emphasized that the business \"still belongs, as it always did,\" to its foreign owners. At Meduza, they strive for transparency and accuracy in their reporting, with every draft reviewed by an editor before publication.",
  "summary": "Russian President Vladimir Putin transferred the Russian business of French flooring maker Tarkett and four other major companies with combined revenue of 53 billion rubles to the management of Marat Mirkhaidarov, a former deputy premier of Zabaikalsky Krai, the independent Russian investigative outlets The Insider and Agentstvo found.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Kyiv Independent",
        "title": "Zelensky's ask: 300 Patriot missiles, 70 billion euros, and Russian assets",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/zelenskys-ask-300-patriot-missiles-70-billion-euros-and-russian-assets",
        "published": "2026-10-16T14:59:31.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Interfax-Ukraine",
        "title": "Russian strikes batter all 6 Smart Holding units in Ukraine, gas assets hit hardest – CEO",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/russian-strikes-batter-all-6-smart-holding-units-in-ukraine-gas",
        "published": "2026-10-16T16:27:13.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}