- Category
- War in Ukraine
Russia Seized Western Companies—Now Their Assets Are Helping Fund Its War in Ukraine
Prefer U24 Media on Google
- Authors
![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Russian subsidiaries of Western companies placed under Kremlin-imposed “temporary management” have contributed approximately $84 million to Russia’s war against Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on November 13.
According to the investigation, managers overseeing the Russian assets of six Western businesses have directed the funds toward the Russian military, defense industry, and related activities.
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
The companies include brewer AB InBev Efes, Dutch paint manufacturer AkzoNobel, packaging producer CanPack, electrical equipment manufacturer DKC, German retailer Metro, and insulation producer Rockwool.
While the contributions are relatively small compared with Russia’s military spending, which is expected to exceed $205 billion this year, Bloomberg noted that the donations offer the Kremlin-appointed managers a visible way to demonstrate their loyalty to Russian authorities.
Meanwhile, the Western parent companies have either declined to comment or acknowledged that they have effectively lost control over their Russian subsidiaries.
-44c925e1fe4bfba894eb6248de861461.jpg)
“We have no way to monitor anything from inside Russia. We learn about everything happening there from the news,” an AkzoNobel representative said.
Managers overseeing AkzoNobel’s seized Russian assets had previously allocated approximately $24 million toward purchasing equipment for the Russian Armed Forces.
In July 2026, AkzoNobel transferred its Russian assets to Razvitie Stroitelnykh Aktivov (RSA), a company believed to have ties to Russia’s state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec.
RSA’s CEO, Timur Amirov, also holds the same position at Dielectric Cable Systems (DKC). Together, the two companies under his management acquired the Russian assets of three foreign businesses—AkzoNobel, DKC, and Rockwool.
Throughout 2026, these businesses directed approximately $42 million toward supporting Russia’s war effort, including transfers to the pro-Kremlin People’s Front organization.
The money was subsequently used to purchase drones, vehicles, communications systems, and other equipment for Russian troops fighting in Ukraine.
Previously, Russia placed the local businesses of Swiss food giant Nestle and French supermarket chain Auchan under temporary administration, explicitly linking the move to European military support for Ukraine.
Bloomberg reported the seizure, describing it as the largest takeover of foreign corporate assets inside Russia since at least 2024.
Discuss this article:
-111f0e5095e02c02446ffed57bfb0ab1.jpeg "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
