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Metro, the retail chain that has been placed under temporary management in Russia, has transferred 1 billion rubles (the equivalent of USD12 million) to the fund “People’s Front. Everything for Victory!” for the needs of the military operation in Ukraine. This is reported by Vedomosti, citing the People’s Front.

The non-profit said the money would be used to buy equipment for the military. In particular, the funds transferred by Metro would allow it to “resolve urgent issues with the purchase of powerful all-terrain vehicles, communications and reconnaissance systems, systems for combating enemy drones and other things needed by fighters in the special operation”.

Johannes Tholey, Metro’s chief executive in Russia, said (his words are quoted in a Metro press release) that, “as part of Russia’s economic system”, the company considers it important to take part in the state’s strategic initiatives. The company also said that part of the money would go to humanitarian and social purposes.

This is not the first time that Russian legal entities of foreign companies placed under temporary management have transferred money for the needs of the Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. For example, the unit of Can-Pack, the Polish aluminium can maker, twice transferred funds to the People’s Front, 1.5 billion rubles in total. Can-Pack then noted that the money was intended for buying hardware, kit and equipment, and for supporting volunteer groups that make gear needed by servicemen.

In February this year the Russian unit of Denmark’s Rockwool, the insulation maker, which had previously been controlled by Rockwool A/S and in January 2026 was placed under the management of Construction Assets Development JSC, transferred 600 million rubles to the fund. The money was intended to buy buggies, quad bikes, communications equipment, reconnaissance drones and electronic warfare equipment.

Funds were also transferred to the People’s Front by the brewer Napitki Vmeste (JSC AB InBev Efes) and the Lipetsk unit of the Dutch paint and coatings maker Akzo Nobel (Akzo Nobel NV).

At the end of September the assets of Metro Cash & Carry (in particular Metro Cash & Carry LLC and Metro Warehouse Noginsk LLC) were placed under the temporary management of the management company JSC UK Torg RUS, whose sole founder is Johannes Tholey, Metro’s chief executive in Russia. Metro’s Russian press service then explained the decision by the need to ensure the safety of employees and infrastructure and the continuity of business processes. It later emerged that Metro itself had asked the Russian authorities to place it under temporary management, deciding to act pre-emptively to avoid the worst-case scenario.