Putin seizes Russian operations of cigarette giant Japan Tobacco International

Euronews · Serguei Doubine · 2026-11-05 16:21 UTC

The decree transferred JTI’s four factories, around 4,000 employees and roughly 40% of the Russian cigarette market to a state-linked holding company. The latest seizure added to a list that includes Nestlé, Auchan, Leroy Merlin and Metro.

The decree transferred JTI’s four factories, around 4,000 employees and roughly 40% of the Russian cigarette market to a state-linked holding company. The latest seizure added to a list that includes Nestlé, Auchan, Leroy Merlin and Metro.

Russian President Vladimir Putin placed Japan Tobacco International's (JTI) operations under state control on Thursday, ordering their transfer by decree to a state-linked holding company AO Promyshlennye aktivy.

The order covers JTI's factories in St Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, the Lipetsk region and the Leningrad region.

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