Russia has taken control of Kuban Vino, the country's largest winemaker, in a move linked to the arrest of a billionaire with ties to the company. RBC news reported the nationalization, citing the tax service's corporate database.
Kuban Vino, which produced 95.5 million bottles of wine in 2023, was one of four wine and food companies previously owned by the Chelyabinsk-based agricultural holding Ariant.
The Chelyabinsk region's arbitration court ruled on April 5 to transfer Ariant's assets to the Russian state. Corporate data showed the ownership change occurring five days later.
Ariant, founded in the 1990s by Alexander Aristov and Yury Antipov, faced turmoil when Antipov was arrested in February on charges of undermining national interests. The arrest stemmed from allegations of fraudulently transferring assets to "unfriendly" countries.
Antipov's steel plants, alleged to have close ties to defense contractors, were seized by the government earlier this year. These plants had been part of Ariant until 2020 when ownership split into metallurgical and agro-industrial holdings.
Despite Ariant's agricultural assets not being part of post-Soviet privatizations, the Chelyabinsk arbitration court ruled to seize them in connection with the fraud case against Antipov.
Ariant contested this ruling with Russia's Supreme Court, alleging a biased hearing and preferential treatment toward the prosecution.