The Kremlin explained the transfer of Auchan and Nestlé's assets to external management
The Kremlin explained the transfer of Russian assets belonging to the French retailer Auchan and the Swiss food manufacturer Nestlé to temporary administration by stating that their owners come from countries considered “unfriendly” to Russia. According to Russian authorities, other circumstances were also taken into account when the decision was made.
“We’re talking about European companies from unfriendly countries. And, of course, one of the factors that was taken into account when making this decision was that these are unfriendly countries, and the fact that these are unfriendly countries that are currently actively involved in military operations against our country, and countries that were involved in the Kyiv regime’s strikes against our peaceful economic infrastructure,” Peskov said.
According to him, “other practical factors” were also taken into account when the decision was made.
On September 17, 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree transferring the Russian assets of a number of foreign companies to the temporary management of JSC “L.E.V. Management.” The list included the Russian Auchan chain, Nestlé assets, as well as the logistics companies FM Logistics and Bati Logistics, and Le Monlid LLC, which owns the “Leman Pro” chain—formerly Leroy Merlin.
This refers specifically to temporary management, not a formal transfer of ownership of the assets. At the same time, this procedure in Russia involves transferring control over the assets to a designated manager. Reuters notes that Russian authorities have been actively using this mechanism since 2023 with regard to enterprises owned by foreign entities.
According to reports in the Russian media, JSC “L.E.V. Management” has been designated as the managing company.
According to SPARK-Interfax, the company’s primary business activity is consulting on commercial operations and management. Since September 10, 2026, it has been headed by Andriy Krayushkin. According to the data provided, the company has one employee, and its authorized capital is 15,000 rubles.
Dmitry Peskov described the selected entity as “the company that best met the necessary criteria.”
In particular, stakes in Russian Nestlé entities were transferred to temporary administration. According to the document, these include stakes in Nestlé Kuban and Nestlé Russia, which are owned by companies within the Nestlé Group.
Following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian authorities introduced a mechanism for the temporary administration of assets owned by foreign entities.
The relevant powers were enshrined in Vladimir Putin’s Decree No. 302 of April 25, 2023. Russian authorities explained this mechanism as a response to sanctions and restrictions imposed by the United States, European countries, and other states.
In recent years, the assets of a number of large international companies have fallen under this mechanism. Among them are the French company Danone and the Carlsberg brewing group, whose Russian assets were subsequently sold to new owners.
Following the decree’s publication, Nestlé announced that it had taken note of the Russian authorities’ decision and was evaluating possible next steps to protect its rights. At the same time, the company stated its intention to maintain the continuity of its business operations and activities for its stakeholders.
The transfer of assets belonging to Auchan, Nestlé, and other international companies to temporary administration marked yet another instance of Russia tightening state control over businesses owned by foreign investors.
This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin signed a decree transferring the Russian assets of a number of Western companies to temporary administration. The list includes 100% of Auchan LLC, two Russian subsidiaries of Nestlé—“Nestlé Russia” and “Nestlé Kuban”—as well as “Le Monlid” LLC, which owns the “Lemana Pro” chain (formerly Leroy Merlin).
The CEO of “L.E.V. Management,” the company to which Russia transferred the assets of Auchan, Nestlé, and Leroy Merlin, turned out to be Andrey Krayushkin, a former high-ranking official in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In 2020, he was involved in a high-profile traffic accident in the Moscow region, where he struck a five-year-old boy on a crosswalk.
