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Moscow takes control over possessions of Western business

Kremlin has actually been taking properties of some Western companies in Russia through decrees signed by President Vladimir Putin and court orders connected to lawsuits over halted projects or obstructed funds amidst Western sanctions.

Below is a list of the business impacted up until now.

AGROTERRA

Russia seized business belonging to farming group AgroTerra and put them under temporary management in April, including some backed by Dutch financial investment companies, a decree signed by Putin showed.

AMEDIA

Putin signed a decree moving Amedia's previous possessions to state management in September, after the Norwegian publisher left complete control of its Russian printing homes to Nobel Peace Prize-winning Russian reporter Dmitry Muratov in April 2022.

CARLSBERG

The Russian state took control of Danish beer business Carlsberg's stake in regional maker Baltika Breweries on July 16, putting it under temporary management of government residential or commercial property agency Rosimushchestvo, a decree signed by Putin revealed.

COMMERZBANK

A Russian court purchased the seizure of German bank Commerzbank's assets, worth 93.7 million euros ($ 101.9 million),. as well as securities and the bank's structure in main Moscow,. as part of a claim including Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank,. court documents showed on May 18.

DANONE

The Russian state took control of the French yoghurt maker. Danone's Russian subsidiary Danone Russia on July 16, a decree. signed by Putin showed, and brought it under short-lived control. of the government residential or commercial property firm.

Putin eliminated it from the list of assets put under. short-term management in March. Danone later on said it had actually gotten. regulative approvals needed for the disposal of its Vital. Dairy and Plant-based service in the country to Vamin R LLC.

DEUTSCHE BANK

A Russian court enforced the seizure of as much as 238.6 million. euros ($ 259.4 million) in securities, real estate and bank. accounts of Deutsche Bank, along with its Russian subsidiary and. Deutsche Bank Innovation Center, court files associated with a. lawsuit that likewise includes Commerzbank showed on May 18.

FORTUM

In April 2023, Putin signed a decree that established. control over the Russian subsidiary of the Finnish utility. company Fortum, which runs power plants in Russia. The CEO. was changed and the unit put under momentary possession management.

FRAPORT

Putin signed a decree on Dec. 1 that put St Petersburg's. Pulkovo Airport under the temporary management of a Russian. holding company, taking control from German airport operator. Fraport, Qatar's sovereign wealth fund Qatar Financial investment. Authority and investors from other Gulf states.

JPMORGAN CHASE

JPMorgan Chase stated in a filing on May 2 that its assets in. Russia might be seized after claims in Russian and U.S. courts. It said the worth of claims and orders to freeze properties surpasses. its available properties in Russia.

A Russian court purchased in April the seizure of funds in. JPMorgan accounts after Russian state-owned bank VTB. sued to regain its funds obstructed abroad. JPMorgan took legal action against Russia's. VTB Bank in a quote to obstruct VTB's effort to recover $439.5. million.

OMV

Under presidential decrees released on Dec. 19, Austrian. oil and gas business OMV's stakes in the Yuzhno-Russkoye field. and in the gas extraction Achimov tasks are to go back to. recently produced Russian business and sold to Gazovyye. Tekhnologii. OMV's properties will then be offered to joint stock. company SOGAZ.

ROLF

On Feb. 21, a Russian court ordered that ownership of shares. in Rolf, an automobile dealer owned by a Cyprus-based firm, be. turned over to the Russian state, Russian news companies. reported, after it was put under short-lived state management. in December.

UNICREDIT

St Petersburg arbitration court ordered that UniCredit's. assets, accounts and home, and shares in 2 subsidiaries be. seized as part of a suit over an aborted gas project. including the Italian bank, court files showed on May 18.

UniCredit stated the seizure impacted only a fraction of its. Russian unit's assets, not the entire subsidiary.

UNIPER

The Kremlin on April 2023 took action against Unipro, the. Russian department of German energy Uniper that has 5 power. plants in Russia, and presented external management and a brand-new. CEO.

WINTERSHALL DEA

Under governmental decrees released on Dec. 19, Wintershall. Dea's stakes in the Yuzhno-Russkoye field and in the Achimov. projects are to revert to newly developed Russian business and. marketed to Gazovyye Tekhnologii, formalising the loss. of control that BASF and Wintershall Dea had flagged. since January 2023.

Wintershall Dea is a joint endeavor in between BASF and Russian. billionaire Mikhail Fridman's investment firm LetterOne.

(source: Reuters)