On July 18, former Chechen Minister of Agriculture and Ramzan Kadyrov's nephew Yakub Zakriev headed JSC Danone Russia, a subsidiary of the French Danone, nationalized by Vladimir Putin's decree in response to European sanctions. Kadyrov continues to strengthen the family's financial and political position thanks to Putin's special favor.
Danone produces many dairy products in Russia under the brands Prostokvashino, Activia, Actimel, Rastishka, Danissimo, Danone, BioBalance, Tyoma and others. According to RBC, the revenue of Danone's Russian subsidiary for 2022 amounted to 92.8 billion rubles, and its net profit was 5.5 billion rubles. On July 16, President Vladimir Putin transferred the share of Danone belonging to a foreign company to the temporary management of the Federal Property Management Agency. We are talking about 83 thousand ordinary shares of Danone Russia, owned by Produits Laitiers Frais Est Europe, and 85 thousand shares of Danone Trade.
This decision was a consequence of the April presidential decree "On the temporary management of certain property", which is explained by the need for "urgent measures in response to unfriendly and contrary to international law" sanctions of the United States and other countries against Russian individuals and legal entities, including those related to restrictions on property rights." The Kremlin believes that the temporary management "mirrors the attitude of Western governments to the foreign assets of Russian companies."
The head of Danone Russia, 32-year-old Yakub (Ibrahim) Zakriev, is the son of Ramzan Kadyrov's older sister and has already managed to make a dizzying career for his age. After graduating from the Moscow Suvorov Military School and the Higher School of Public Audit at Moscow State University with a degree in economics, he immediately began working in the Chechen government. He was deputy head of the regional Ministry of Finance, mayor of Grozny, head of the administration of the head and government of the republic, vice-premier and minister of agriculture, and was awarded several orders.
By the same decree, Putin nationalized the shares of foreigners in the Baltika brewing company. Its former head (in 1991-2004) Taimuraz Bolloyev was appointed head. Thus, the Russian president took revenge on Europe for sanctions and simultaneously rewarded the elites loyal to him in Chechnya and North Ossetia.
On August 15, the daughter of the head of Chechnya, 19-year-old Tabarik Kadyrova, became the direct owner of four companies in Grozny: Bereket, Tiinalla, Minutka and Alpiyskie Luga. Previously, Tabarik, as reported by the media, controlled them through the company "Irs Group", of which she is the founder.
In March, opening "Irs Group", Tabarik Kadyrova said that the group "plans to cover a wide range of areas - retail sales, attracting well-known Russian and foreign brands and franchises, hotel and restaurant business, advertising, purchase, sale, rental of real estate, assistance in such transactions and much more." "This will have a positive impact on the development of all these areas and give an additional impetus to the economic development of the republic," the founder promised.
As reported by the publication "Chechnya Today", the opening of the company coincided with the signing of cooperation agreements with the Islamic financial group "Favorit" and the Sheikh Zayed Foundation for the Support of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. It was planned that they would finance the projects of "Irs Group".
On April 1, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky added Tabarik Kadyrova to the sanctions list. Before this, Tabarik Kadyrova rarely came into the media spotlight, unlike her sisters and brothers, who are rapidly occupying leadership positions in the republic. Thus, in March, 20-year-old Khutmat Kadyrova became the curator of the republic's health care. 25-year-old Ayshat Kadyrova has been heading the Ministry of Culture for two years. Khadizhat, at 20, headed the Department of Preschool Education in Grozny. 17-year-old Akhmat Kadyrov is the chairman of the regional branch of the Children and Youth Movement. 16-year-old Zelimkhan (Eli) is still studying, but a physical education and sports complex opened last year in Kurchaloy has already been named after him.