Russian Government Seizes Control of Industrial Fan Producer Ventprom

Sep. 3, 2026 The factory floor of the Ventprom production facility. ventprom.com A Sverdlovsk region judge has reportedly ordered the nationalization of Ventprom, Russia’s largest manufacturer of industrial ventilation equipment for mines, tunnels and metros. Yekaterinburg’s Leninsky District Court on Aug. 17 ruled to transfer a 100% stake in the Artyomovsky Machine Engineering Plant Ventprom to the state, according to the Interfax news agency. “Nothing has changed for us except the shareholder,” a Ventprom spokesperson told Interfax on Thursday. The government seized the strategic factory after branding its former owners and associates an “extremist organization,” the regional news outlet Vecherniye Vedomosti reported earlier. The Sverdlovsk region’s deputy prosecutor filed a lawsuit against eight individuals and two foreign companies in connection with the “extremist” designation. They include former Ventprom executives Oleg, Igor and Olga Gorshkov, as well as companies registered in Britain and Germany. Court records published by Vecherniye Vedomosti show Google and Russia’s communications watchdog Roskomnadzor as being among third parties listed in the court case. Defense lawyers declined to discuss specifics of the case with the news outlet due to client confidentiality. Unverified reports claimed the “extremist” designation stemmed from a bank transfer that was made to a Ukrainian citizen, as well as to the fact that Gorshkov has lived outside of Russia since 2023. Vecherniye Vedomosti said Google was likely drawn into litigation since one of the Ukrainians listed in the case, Viktor Litovchenko, is a popular blogger on YouTube, which the tech giant owns. Neither Litovchenko nor the second Ukrainian, Natalia Prushinskaya, reportedly held shares in Ventprom. Ventprom, which supplies ventilation systems to the Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk and Minsk metro networks, as well as to Lukoil, Alrosa and Rusal, reported more than 3 billion rubles (almost $35 million) in revenue last year. Read more about: Business , Sverdlovsk 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 Russia’s Economy in 2026: More War, Slower Growth and Higher Taxes The economy is likely to slide from a phase of “managed cooling” into outright stagnation this year, with recovery unlikely before 2027. 4 Min read Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport to Go Up for Auction After State Seizure In June, a court ruled to transfer ownership of Domodedovo to the state after determining its two owners were foreign residents who had no right to manage... 1 Min read Russian Labor Ministry Denies Plans to Recruit 1M Indian Workers in 2025 The head of the Ural Chamber of Commerce and Industry had earlier made the claim. 2 Min read U.S. Investor Calvey Detained in Moscow on Suspicion of Fraud Michael Calvey is the founder and a senior partner at the Baring Vostok equity funds group.