Putin seizes Japan Tobacco’s Russian assets as Moscow-Tokyo ties fray

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree taking temporary control of the Russian subsidiaries of Japan Tobacco, the country’s former monopoly and one of the world’s largest cigarette makers. The move places the local operations of Japan Tobacco under state management. The decree did not provide a reason for the takeover. The seizure comes as relations between Moscow and Tokyo continue to deteriorate. Japan has joined Western sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine, and the Kremlin has responded with a series of measures targeting foreign companies. Japan Tobacco said it was examining the details of the decree. The company has operated in Russia for decades and its local business represents a significant share of its global sales. The takeover follows similar Russian actions against other foreign-owned assets in recent months. Moscow has placed several Western companies’ Russian operations under temporary state control, a step that raises new risks for international firms still operating in the country.