The decree, which took effect on the day of publication, covers the companies J.T.I. Donskoy Tabak, J.T.I. Yelets, Cres Neva and Petro, The Bell reported. The stakes had been held by the Netherlands-based JT International Holding B.V., JTI Investments Sarl and JTI's own Russian structures.
At least two companies share the name AO Promyshlennye Aktivy, and the decree does not make clear which one received the assets: no tax identification number is given in the document, The Bell noted. RBC in 2020 named Taimuraz Bolloev as the ultimate beneficiary of one of them, based in Vsevolozhsk. The other, a Moscow-based entity, was previously called S8 Promyshlennye Aktivy and formed part of Armen Sarkisyan's S8 Capital holding. In the summer of 2026 the Moscow company began being merged into the tire maker Cordiant, which Alexei Mordashov's Severgroup bought in 2024.
JTI has operated on the Russian market since 1999. In 2018 it bought the cigarette maker Donskoy Tabak and became Russia's largest cigarette producer, Current Time reported. About 4,000 employees work at JTI's plants and offices in the country. The group makes Winston, Camel, LD and Sobranie.
JTI did not leave Russia after the war began: in March 2022 it suspended new investment and marketing but said it would preserve jobs, and in November 2023 it announced it would continue its business in the country.
The transfer of JTI's assets continues a series of similar decisions. On September 17 Putin signed a decree placing the Russian assets of Nestle and Auchan, as well as the Lemana PRO chain of building stores, previously operating under the Leroy Merlin brand, under the temporary management of L.E.V. Management, Current Time reported. On September 28 the Russian assets of the German retail chain Metro were transferred to the company UK Torg RUS. AO Promyshlennye Aktivy had earlier become the owner of Lesta, the publisher of the game World of Tanks in Russia.