Putin Transfers Japanese Tobacco Giant JTI's Russian Operations to State-Linked Company

**Moscow, November 5, 2026:** Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the transfer of Japan Tobacco International's Russian operations to a state-linked holding company through a presidential decree. The decision covers four factories located in St Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, the Lipetsk region and the Leningrad region. The operations employ approximately 4,000 people and represent a significant share of Russia's domestic tobacco manufacturing market. Japan Tobacco International, headquartered in Geneva, entered the Russian market in 1999 and continued operating in the country after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, although it suspended new investment in production and marketing. The latest decision adds another foreign-owned business to the list of companies whose Russian assets have been placed under state management. The development highlights continuing tensions between Russia and countries that have imposed sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine. **Source:** Euronews, with AFP reporting. **Publication date:** November 5, 2026