Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has established control over 180 companies with a total value of about $11.5 billion. This is reported by the press service of the British Ministry of Defense with reference to British intelligence data.
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“Companies with foreign capital were almost certainly prioritized, including companies owned by Russians living abroad,” the report says.
Intelligence officers explain the actual seizure of companies by what the Kremlin wants reduce foreign, especially Western, connections in the Russian economy.
At the same time, Russia is establishing greater control over companies in strategic industries such as the defense industry.
Moscow is redistributing assets in favor of related with the Kremlin, businessmen supporting the war in Ukraine were noted by the Ministry of Defense.
“This deprivatization is likely related to Putin’s call in his February 2024 address to a new nationalist elite formed as a result of the war in Ukraine,” — explains the department.