Putin transferred the Russian assets of the German company Metro to temporary management

On September 28, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin signed a decree transferring the Russian assets of the German retail chain Metro to the temporary management of the company “UK Torg RUS.”

According to public records, “UK Torg RUS” was registered on September 8, 2026—three weeks before Putin’s decree. Its sole founder and CEO is Johannes Tolay, who has headed “Metro Russia” since 2022.

The Metro retail chain has 91 stores in Russia and employs more than 10,000 people. In the first nine months of the 2025–2026 fiscal year, sales at the Russian division rose 10.3% year-over-year to 2.14 billion euros, according to the company’s website.

This is reported by Russian propaganda media.

The EU is assessing Ukraine’s financial needs ahead of a decision on Russia’s frozen assets.

As a reminder, Belgium has categorically refused to transfer Russia’s frozen assets to Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga expressed his gratitude to the foreign ministers of Sweden, Poland, the Netherlands, and Spain for their joint initiative. This refers to a letter to the European Commission calling for the use of frozen Russian assets to benefit Ukraine.