Putin Seizes Russian Subsidiary of Illinois-Based Packaging Manufacturer AptarGroup

President Vladimir Putin signed an executive order on Monday placing the Russian subsidiary of Illinois-based packaging manufacturer AptarGroup under temporary government control, marking the Kremlin ’ s latest seizure of Western corporate assets. Aptar Vladimir — owned by Aptar Europe Holding — was transferred to H&N (Health & Nutrition), according to the order. H&N previously took over French dairy giant Danone ’ s Russian assets after the Kremlin seized them under a similar executive order in 2023. Aptar represents at least the fifth major Western company the Kremlin has targeted in less than a week. Last Thursday, Putin placed the Russian operations of French supermarket chain Auchan, Swiss food giant Nestlé, home improvement retailer Lemana PRO (formerly Leroy Merlin) and French logistics operators FM Logistics and Bati Logistics under the control of L.E.V. Management, a little-known Russian firm. The newspaper Kommersant estimated those previously seized assets to be worth at least 600 billion rubles ($7.14 billion). Russia has defended the expropriations as retaliation for “unfriendly” actions by Western countries that introduced sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine. The Moscow Times contacted AptarGroup for comment. Monday ’ s decree also follows U.S. President Donald Trump signing a sweeping sanctions bill into law that allows him to impose punitive tariffs against countries that buy Russian oil and gas. However, it was not immediately clear whether the seizure of Aptar Vladimir was retaliation for that sanctions legislation. Russia has seized the assets of at least 30 foreign companies since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, including Carlsberg, Fortum, Uniper, Ariston, Bosch and AB. The Kyiv School of Economics Institute estimates the pre-takeover value of seized foreign assets at $74 billion, with total losses for foreign companies leaving Russia reaching $170 billion through write-offs, court rulings and exit taxes. In August, Putin signed an executive order that allows the government to take control of strategically important facilities if the owners fail to protect them from Ukrainian attacks or to quickly repair damage from strikes.