EPAP President Putin and Chechen leader Kadyrov, photo from March 2023
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 11:35
The nephew of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has been appointed head of Danone’s Russian branch. The French dairy giant has about twenty factories in Russia. President Putin has taken control of the Russian branch by decree.
The new director, Yakub Zakriev, is not only minister of agriculture, but also deputy prime minister of Chechnya. The decision “shows that the members of the team of Chechen President and Hero of Russia Ramzan Kadyrov are talented and successful managers,” the official statement from the Chechen authorities said.
Also Carlsberg daughter
Since the invasion of Ukraine, more business units of Western corporations have been placed under the control of Putin’s confidants. In addition to the acquisition of Danone, it was also announced last weekend that Russia is taking ‘temporary’ possession of Baltika Breweries. That is a subsidiary of the Danish beer brand Carlsberg.
Unlike other multinationals, Danone had not completely withdrawn from the Russian market. Shortly after the Russian invasion, according to the company, all investments in Russia were stopped. A buyer of the twenty factories was sought.
Write off a billion euros
The billion-dollar French company was estimated to control one-fifth of the Russian dairy industry. The takeover by the Russian State is estimated to cost the group one billion euros. The nationalization leads to uncertainty among other multinationals that still have branches in Russia.
Ramzan Kadyrov has been the head of Chechnya, an autonomous republic within Russia, for more than fifteen years. He was appointed by Putin, who gave him the highest honorary title: Hero of the Russian Federation. Kadyrov and his private militia are held responsible for war crimes and human rights violations. Its armed forces are also active in Ukraine.
2023-07-19 09:35:22
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