Kremlin Seizes Russian Subsidiary of German Retailer Metro

Sep. 28, 2026 Gennady Grachev (CC BY 2.0) President Vladimir Putin signed an executive order on Monday that places the Russian subsidiary of German retailer Metro AG under “temporary management” of the state. The order hands the shares of Metro Russia to Torg Rus, a management firm that corporate records show was registered earlier this month. The current CEO of Metro Russia, Johannes Tholey, is also listed as the CEO of Torg Rus. In a statement, Metro’s Russian subsidiary said that it continued to operate as usual but did not directly comment on Putin’s order. Metro, one of the world’s fourth-largest retailers, is the latest Western business to have its Russian operations seized since Putin signed an order in 2023 granting the state the authority to place foreign assets under its temporary management. Earlier this month, the Kremlin took control of the Russian subsidiaries of French supermarket chain Auchan, Swiss food giant Nestlé, home improvement retailer Lemana PRO (formerly Leroy Merlin) and two French logistics companies. Moscow has described the asset seizures as a response to “hostile actions” taken by “unfriendly” foreign governments. The move against Metro Russia comes after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with his German counterpart for the first time since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The two diplomats met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Lavrov later complained that he had learned nothing new from his meeting with the German foreign minister. Just weeks ago, Germany accused Russia of being behind an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport and retaliated by closing a Russian consulate and the Russian cultural center in Berlin. Moscow has denied the allegations, which it said were fabricated. Reuters contributed reporting. Read more about: Germany , Business Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more BMW Warns of Unauthorized Production of 'Pirated' Cars in Russia BMW told Germany's Bild newspaper that production at the Kaliningrad plant operated by its former Russian partner Avtotor was taking place without the... 2 Min read Germany’s Uniper Seeks $50M From Gazprom in Gas Transit Dispute – Interfax A Uniper subsidiary filed the lawsuit with the International Chamber of Commerce’s arbitration court in Geneva, Switzerland. 2 Min read Ruble Falls After Latest Russia-Ukraine Talks Make Little Progress “The market was disappointed by the largely symbolic nature of Wednesday’s round of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul,” one analyst said... 2 Min read Lavrov: Moscow Has Proof That Kiev Behind 'Sabotage' in Crimea Moscow has claimed that it possesses proof that the Ukrainian government planned sabotage operations in Crimea. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov...