According to a decree published on Sunday, Russia has temporarily taken control of shares belonging to the French company Danone and the Danish company Carlsberg.
The decree, signed by President Vladimir Putin, stated that the Russian state would temporarily manage the shares belonging to the companies “Danone Russia” and “Baltika,” which Carlsberg owns.
In March of last year, Carlsberg announced that it would sell all of its activities in Russia, where it employs 8,400 people.
In June of last year, the company stated that it had found a buyer for these activities, without disclosing the name, more than a year after announcing its withdrawal from the Russian market due to the conflict in Ukraine.
Danone is one of the few global companies that remained in Russia since Moscow began its military operation in Ukraine in early 2022.
Danone announced in October last year that it planned to withdraw from most of its operations in Russia.
The company stated that it would divest its businesses in dairy and plant-based products and only retain its infant nutrition division.
Many Western companies have withdrawn from Russia since February 24, 2022, when the Russian army launched its operation in Ukraine.
