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Russia seizure of Western corporate assets

Updated 3 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-20 08:44 UTC → 2026-09-20 12:13 UTC · added removed

Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a decree to seize the local assets and operations of several Western corporations, including the Swiss food giant Nestlé, the French retailer Auchan, the home improvement retailer Lemana Pro, and the logistics firm FM Logistic. These assets are being transferred to a domestic entity known as LEV Management, which is reportedly led by former Ministry of Internal Affairs general Andrey Kraiushkin. LEV Management was established in late 2024 but remained inactive until late 2025. The Kremlin justified the seizure as a response to nations classified as ‘unfriendly’ due to their economic and military support for Ukraine. Nestlé, which employs approximately 7,000 people in Russia, Russia across six plants, stated it is evaluating legal options to protect its rights. In response, France has formally called for the revocation of the decree through its ministries of foreign affairs and economy. Russian Deputy Security Council Chairman Dmitry Medvedev criticized the European response, accusing nations of engaging in ‘direct warfare against Russia’ by providing military equipment while attempting to protect corporate profits. Adding to the domestic political pressure in France, leaders of the National Rally, Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, issued a joint statement condemning the seizure of Auchan and Nestlé. They characterized Moscow’s decision to place European assets under temporary state management as a ‘hostile act’ against French intended to intimidate and European interests. destabilize the country. The leaders asserted that French foreign policy must be decided in Paris rather than Moscow, vowing that intimidation external pressure or psychological pressure coercion would not force France to facilitate Russian military objectives in Ukraine. They further linked these actions to broader security concerns, including an increase in hybrid activities and a recent drone incident near Leipzig airport, which German authorities have linked to Moscow.

Versions

  1. 2026-09-20 12:13 UTC Russia seizure of Western corporate assets
  2. 2026-09-20 08:44 UTC Russia seizure of Western corporate assets
  3. 2026-09-20 06:02 UTC Russia seizure of Western corporate assets
  4. 2026-09-20 04:33 UTC Russia seizure of Western corporate assets

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