Russian enterprises of international companies, which the Kremlin transferred to the control of its appointed managers, have begun directing billions of rubles to finance the war against Ukraine. The funds are used to purchase drones, vehicles, communication equipment, and other gear for the Russian military.

Bloomberg reported this on November 13, after analyzing the financial data of the enterprises and messages from Russian organizations.

The main recipient of the funds was the Russian "People's Front" - an organization created on the initiative of Vladimir Putin in 2011. After the start of the full-scale invasion, it launched the "Everything for Victory" program, through which it collects money and purchases equipment for the Russian army.

One example is the Russian unit of the Danish company Rockwool, which specializes in the production of thermal insulation materials. After the enterprise was placed under external management, it transferred 600 million rubles to the "People's Front".

According to Bloomberg, these funds were intended for the purchase of SUVs, communication systems, reconnaissance drones, and electronic warfare equipment.

Even larger sums came from the Russian enterprises of the Dutch paint manufacturer AkzoNobel and the Italian electrical equipment manufacturer DKC. After coming under the control of Kremlin-appointed management, they together transferred 3 billion rubles to support the Russian military.

Bloomberg notes that the management of these enterprises, as well as Rockwool's assets, was given to structures associated with Russian businessman Timur Amirov.

An AkzoNobel representative told the agency that the company has completely lost the ability to control the activities of its Russian units and learned about the financial operations from the media. The European owners of DKC did not respond to the journalists' request.

Another example is the brewing company AB InBev Efes, a joint venture between Belgium's Anheuser-Busch InBev and Turkey's Anadolu Efes. Its Russian business, placed under external management back in 2024, reported transferring 1 billion rubles to the "People's Front" during 2026.

The Russian unit of the German retail chain Metro also directed 1 billion rubles for the needs of the Russian army. Meanwhile, the parent company Metro AG said it did not approve this decision and does not support the financing of the war. After the Russian business was placed under forced management in September, it lost the ability to influence its operations.

Support for the Russian military is not limited to monetary transfers. In particular, the brewing company "Baltika", which previously belonged to Denmark's Carlsberg, produces a special non-alcoholic energy drink for free supply to Russian servicemen.

Russia introduced the mechanism for seizing foreign assets in 2023. It allows transferring the operational management of enterprises from so-called unfriendly countries to Russian structures, formally leaving the ownership rights with foreign shareholders. As a result, international companies can legally own the business but effectively lose control over its activities and financial decisions.

In recent months, the Kremlin has expanded the practice of such seizures. In particular, the Russian assets of Nestlé and Japan Tobacco were placed under external management.

Earlier, the KSE Institute and the international coalition B4Ukraine warned that Russia is increasingly using seized enterprises of Western companies to finance the war and exert pressure on European governments. The organizations called on international businesses to accelerate their exit from the Russian market.

According to Bloomberg's estimate, although such corporate transfers are significantly lower than Russia's state military spending, they allow the new managers of the seized enterprises to demonstrate loyalty to the Kremlin and directly contribute to supplying the Russian army.

Based on materials from: Bloomberg, KSE Institute, Metro AG