Moscow has taken control of a Russian unit belonging to the French dairy company Danone, along with a stake owned by Danish company Carlsberg in a local brewery, according to a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin on Sunday.
The decree states that the foreign-owned stakes in "Danone Russia" and "Baltika Breweries" have been placed under "temporary administration" of the Federal Agency for State Property Management.
It was mentioned in the decree, published on Sunday, that Carlsberg's stake in "Baltika Breweries," which is based in Russia, has been placed under state control. Carlsberg stated in June that it had signed an agreement to sell its operations in Russia, awaiting regulatory approval for the deal.
This move follows the state control of the Russian units of the German company "Uniper" and the Finnish company "Fortum" in April. The Kremlin had warned at that time that it might seize more Western assets based on what it described as a temporary measure in response to foreign actions against Russian companies abroad.
Last October, Danone announced that it was looking for a buyer for its dairy operations in Russia, a deal that could result in write-offs of up to one billion euros (1.12 billion dollars).
