One billion rubles were seized from the Russian Metro for military purposes
The Russian supermarket chain Metro, whose assets were placed under temporary administration in September, announced a donation of one billion rubles to support the Russian army. According to RBC, the funds will be used to purchase specialized equipment, communications gear, reconnaissance equipment, and anti-drone systems. The decision was made about a month after a decree by Vladimir Putin transferred control of Metro’s Russian operations to another company.
The German supermarket chain Metro, which operates in Russia, lost control of its assets and funds in bank accounts. After the business was placed under temporary administration, the company announced a voluntary donation of one billion rubles to the “People’s Front. “Everything for Victory!” According to the publication, the money will be used to support the Russian military fighting against Ukraine. Specifically, the funds are earmarked for the purchase of specialized equipment, communications systems, reconnaissance tools, and anti-drone equipment.
Johannes Tolay, CEO of Metro in Russia, stated that the company considers participation in state initiatives to be important. “As part of Russia’s economic system, we consider participation in the state’s strategic initiatives to be important,” he said. Tolai is the sole founder of the company JSC “UK Torg Rus,” to which management of Metro’s Russian business has been transferred. According to RBC, this chain operates in 51 regions of Russia and generates approximately 2.3 billion euros in revenue annually.
How Metro’s Russian business came under new management
In September 2026, Vladimir Putin signed a decree transferring Metro’s Russian assets to the temporary management of JSC “UK Torg Rus.” The company’s authorized capital amounts to only 10,000 rubles. About a month after the decree took effect, the new administrator announced a billion-ruble donation for military purposes. Thus, funds associated with the German chain’s business in Russia are being directed to support the army participating in the war against Ukraine.
At the same time, it is important to distinguish between the transfer of assets to temporary administration and permanent confiscation. This mechanism means that management of the business is transferred to the designated entity, and the foreign owner loses the ability to independently dispose of the assets. The future of the property depends on the decisions of the Russian authorities.
Other foreign companies have also been placed under Russian management
Metro is not the only foreign business whose assets the Russian authorities have transferred to temporary administration. In September, similar decisions also affected the assets of the Swiss company Nestlé, the French retail chain Auchan, and “Leman Pro”—the former Russian subsidiary of the French company Leroy Merlin. The basis for these decisions was Putin’s Decree No. 302, signed in 2023. The document provides for the possibility of transferring property associated with companies from countries that the Russian authorities consider “unfriendly” to temporary administration.
The decree explains these measures as a response to actions by the U.S. and other states, which Moscow describes as unfriendly and contrary to international law. These formulations represent the Russian government’s position as set forth in the document. Previously, assets of brewing companies were transferred to temporary administration under this same mechanism. Among them are enterprises belonging to the Belgian company AB InBev and the Turkish company Anadolu Efes.
From Ariston to Danone and Carlsberg
In 2024, Russian authorities seized the Ariston and Bosch home appliance factories and transferred them to Gazprom’s control. Prior to the outbreak of full-scale war, these factories manufactured, among other things, refrigerators and washing machines. According to a source, annual sales of these products reached about 50 billion rubles. Even earlier, in July 2023, Danone’s Russian operations—one of the country’s largest dairy producers—were placed under temporary administration. Subsequently, this business was transferred to individuals linked to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. The value of the assets was estimated at approximately one billion euros.
That same year, Russian authorities took control of the assets of the Danish brewing company Carlsberg. And in 2022, similar decisions were made regarding the Finnish company Fortum and the German company Uniper—major Western investors in the Russian energy sector. These cases illustrate how, following the outbreak of full-scale war, foreign companies lost the ability to independently manage their businesses in Russia. In some cases, the assets were transferred to entities linked to the Russian state or local owners.
How the Kremlin Explains These Decisions
The Kremlin has previously stated that the companies placed under temporary administration belong to countries that Russia considers “unfriendly.” Spokespersons for the Russian government have linked these decisions to these countries’ support for Ukraine and to attacks on Russian targets, particularly economic infrastructure. These explanations reflect Moscow’s official position. At the same time, transferring assets to entities designated by the Russian authorities restricts the rights of foreign owners and calls into question their ability to regain control of the businesses.
In the case of Metro, the situation took on another dimension: following the change in management, the company announced a donation to support Russia’s military efforts. According to RBC, one billion rubles are planned to be spent on equipment, communications, intelligence, and countering drones. In other words, the funds are being directed toward supporting the Russian army, which continues its war against Ukraine. This was reported on October 23 by the Russian publication RBC.
In Rivne, the METRO shopping center was damaged as a result of a Russian attack on October 21. The store has been temporarily closed, and company employees are assessing the damage and determining how to resume operations. According to preliminary information from the company, there were no casualties among employees or visitors.
