Full Breakdown
Putin Transfers Control of Western Firm Assets to Veteran-Run Manager
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Decree and Affected Companies
President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Thursday that places the Russian assets of five major Western manufacturers under the temporary management of a Moscow-based firm. The assets include France’s flooring producer Tarkett, Belgium’s hygiene maker Ontex Ru, Germany’s plastic packager Menshen, corrugated-board producer Kappa Rus, and metal-packaging subsidiary Eviosys of U.S. firm Sonoco Products.
Financial Scope of the Assets
RBC reported that the combined 2025 revenue of the five assets exceeds 53 billion rubles (approximately $633.2 million). The breakdown is: Tarkett – 19.3 billion rubles; Kappa Rus – 16.5 billion rubles; Ontex Ru – 10.3 billion rubles; Eviosys – 6.1 billion rubles; Menshen – 1.4 billion rubles.
Managerial Entity and Its Owner
The decree assigns management rights to Tsentr Kapital Management Company, a Moscow entity incorporated in February 2026. Corporate-registry data cited by RBC shows the firm is owned by 47-year-old Marat Mirkhaidarov. Mirkhaidarov previously served as deputy governor and chief of staff of Russia’s Zabaikalsky region and, according to exiled media, volunteered with Chechnya’s Akhmat unit in early 2024.
Official Context and Potential Implications
The move follows a pattern of state-directed reallocation of foreign-owned assets amid heightened tensions with the West. By placing the assets under a firm linked to a veteran of the Ukraine conflict, the Kremlin signals a willingness to use politically vetted managers for strategic economic control. Analysts note that the transferred assets represent a modest share of Russia’s overall manufacturing sector, but the decree could set a precedent for future seizures of foreign-owned enterprises, potentially affecting foreign investment sentiment and prompting diplomatic responses from the companies’ home governments.