Russia seizes assets of Nestlé and French firms via Putin decree

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to seize the local assets and operations of several Western corporations, including the Swiss food giant Nestlé and the French retailer Auchan. The decree also targets the home improvement retailer Lemana Pro and the logistics firm FM Logistic, transferring their Russian operations to a domestic entity called LEV Management.

LEV Management, which was established in late 2024 and remained inactive until late 2025, is reportedly led by Andrey Kraiushkin, a former general of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Kremlin justified the move as a response to nations deemed ‘unfriendly’ due to their economic and military support for Ukraine.

Nestlé, which operates six plants and employs approximately 7,000 people in Russia, stated it is evaluating legal options to protect its rights and ensure operational continuity. In France, the ministries of foreign affairs and economy issued a joint statement calling for the revocation of the decree, while political figures condemned the seizure as an attempt at intimidation.