‘Nestlé is committed to taking all necessary steps to protect its rights’: Nestlé and Auchan respond to Putin’s decree placing their Russian assets under temporary management

Nestle said it has “taken note” the Russian president’s decree introducing “temporary external administration” at Nestlé Russia.“The company is assessing the situation and its options. Nestlé is committed to taking all necessary steps to protect its rights and ensure continuity of business operations in the interests of all stakeholders, particularly its employees,” the company said in a statement.Auchan’s Russian subsidiary, Auchan LLC, is continuing to operate as usual following Putin’s decree. The company said it “sent a request for clarification” about the decree but did not specify to whom.“Once we receive the relevant information, we will be able to provide more detailed comment. As of today, the company and all its outlets continue operating as usual, without any changes,” company representatives told the Russian business news outlet RBC.Putin signed the decree on the evening of September 17, placing the Russian subsidiaries of France’s Auchan and Switzerland’s Nestle under temporary management by “L.E.V. Management.” The same decree also placed shares of “Le Monlid,” the Russian division of France’s Leroy Merlin, under temporary management.“L.E.V. Management” was registered in Moscow in October 2024, with Andrei Krayushkin listed as its general director. The independent Russian news outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe reported that his full name and date of birth match those of Interior Ministry Major General Andrei Krayushkin, the former first deputy head of the migration department.At Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.If you find any errors in this translation, please contact us at [email protected].To read Meduza’s exclusive content in English, please subscribe to our newsletter.