00:01The Kremlin has placed Japan Tobacco International's operations under state control.
00:07The company employs around 4,000 people in Russia and holds roughly 40% of the Russian cigarette market.
00:13This makes it the country's largest cigarette manufacturer.
00:17Under the new decree, four of its factories have now been transferred to a state-linked holding company.
00:23Russia has made similar moves involving several European companies, including Swiss food group Nestle, French retailers Auchan and Leroy Merlin,
00:32and German retailer Metro.
00:34Moscow says these takeovers are a response to the sanctions imposed after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
00:41Japan has also joined some of those Western sanctions.
00:45The decision to take control of the company comes after Russia arrested a Japanese journalist last month on espionage charges.
00:53The foreign ministry in Moscow has systematically accused Tokyo of using journalists for such purposes.
01:00Japan has in the meantime protested Russia's seizure of the assets and is working with the company on taking further
01:06action.
