According to Bloomberg, after changes in management, Russian divisions of foreign companies transferred to temporary management are sending money to the “People’s Front. Everything for Victory!” fund, which buys drones, vehicles, communications equipment, and other equipment for Russian troops. Judging by the companies’ own statements and publications in Russian media, the Dutch AkzoNobel sent about 2 billion rubles for these purposes, while the brewer AB InBev Efes, retailer Metro, and electrical equipment manufacturer DKC each sent 1 billion rubles.
The Bell wrote in October that the Russian assets of Poland’s Can-Pack, transferred to temporary management, sent 1.5 billion rubles to this fund in two tranches, and the former division of Denmark’s Rockwool sent 600 million rubles. Bloomberg calls these transfers insignificant compared with state spending on the war, which is expected to exceed 17 trillion rubles this year.
AkzoNobel in the Netherlands said that the parent company has completely lost control over its Russian assets and learns news about them from the media. The Belgian-Turkish AB InBev Efes and the Italian DKC Europe Srl did not provide comments.
Bloomberg notes that such payments give company management the opportunity to show that they support the authorities. In recent months, Russian authorities have stepped up the transfer of foreign companies’ assets under temporary management, including the retailer Auchan, the food producer Nestle, the chain of home improvement stores Lemana PRO (formerly Leroy Merlin), Metro Cash & Carry, and the tobacco manufacturer Japan Tobacco International.
Reuters reported at the end of October that since January 2025, assets of more than 20 foreign companies have been transferred to temporary management in Russia, almost all of them European.
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