Russia has expanded the mechanism of 'temporary management' regarding the Japanese tobacco concern Japan Tobacco International (JTI). According to media reports, another three legal entities of the company—importers and holding structures of the manufacturer—have come under Moscow's control. Thus, over the course of two days, November 5 and November 7, 2026, seven JTI structures, including production enterprises and commercial holdings, were transferred to 'temporary management'.
Which Structures Came Under Control
This time, the restrictions affected the companies J.T.I. Russia, Pereslavl-Tabak, and J.T.I. Innovative Products. Earlier, on November 5, a similar decree affected four other JTI structures that own tobacco factories in Saint Petersburg, Yelets, and Rostov-on-Don. All the new companies were transferred to the control of Promyshlennye Aktivy LLC.
Who Received the Assets: The Identification Issue
According to Kommersant, the entity in question is linked to Taimuraz Bolloev, the former head of Baltika and founder of BTK Group. At the same time, several enterprises with the exact same name are registered in Russia. In particular, another company named Promyshlennye Aktivy was part of Armen Sarkisyan's S8 Capital holding, which actively buys up assets of Western brand companies after their withdrawal from the Russian market. Due to the matching names, the exact identification of the structure that gained control remains uncertain.
History of JTI's Presence in Russia
The tobacco giant has been operating in the Russian Federation since 1999, and in 2007 it headed the Russian market. After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the company did not leave the market, although it temporarily froze investments, and in 2023 it finally decided to continue business in the country. The value of the previously nationalized production facilities was estimated at 60 billion rubles.
Tokyo's Reaction and State Share
About a third of Japan Tobacco International's shares (37.55%) belong to the Japanese government. The country's Foreign Ministry has already protested to the Russian ambassador over the introduction of 'temporary management'. In the autumn of 2026, Japan also introduced a new package of sanctions against Russia in response to the ongoing military aggression against Ukraine and as part of international pressure on the aggressor state.
Context: The Previous Decree
On November 5, 2026, Vladimir Putin issued a decree introducing 'temporary management' regarding four other JTI legal entities. At that time, enterprises for the processing of tobacco raw materials and cigarette manufacturing in Saint Petersburg, Yelets, and Rostov-on-Don came under Russian control. The new measures essentially complete the process of transferring the concern's commercial and production assets under Russian control.
