The Russian government has taken control of Nestlé’s operations in the country and, together with those of the French supermarket chain Auchan, placed them under temporary administration.

The company’s Russian assets are being transferred to a holding company called AO L.E:V Menedzhment (Management). This is set out in a decree signed by President Putin, which has been published online.

Nestlé announced this morning that it had ‘taken note’ of the decree and was ‘assessing the situation and its options’.

In recent years, Nestlé has significantly reduced its presence in Russia and ceased all imports and exports, with the exception of essential products such as baby food, muesli and specialised foods. In 2022, there was apparently a Ukrainian cyber-attack because the company had not completely severed its ties with Russia.