Analysts explained the transfer of assets to Zakriev with the logic of loyalty.

The transfer of assets from the American holding Aptar to the structures of the nephew of the head of Chechnya continues the previously established practice and confirms that the Kremlin still trusts Kadyrov, political scientists interviewed by "Caucasian Knot" stated.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the transfer of Russian assets of Aptar to the temporary management of Yakub Zakriev's company.

The transfer of Russian assets of the Aptar holding to Yakub Zakriev's company followed immediately after the announcement of record results by Ramzan Kadyrov in the elections for the head of Chechnya, however, analysts interviewed by "Caucasian Knot" do not see a connection between these events.

"This is a continuation of the strategic line that was adopted during the second Chechen war, when the decision was made to bribe the elite of the rebellious republic. There is no direct link to the election results in Chechnya, as Ramzan Kadyrov could have drawn 100% or even 146%... When transferring foreign assets, the Kremlin primarily looks at loyalty, and only then at everything else. From this point of view, being on Western sanctions lists is a sign of such loyalty," said member of the Adam Smith Council, political scientist Sergey Boyko.

According to Boyko, in 2024, the former Russian business of Danone significantly declined in performance, however, in 2025, the company showed growth, including due to active entry into the markets of the CIS countries and the UAE. Revenue in 2025 increased by 13.6% to 161.1 billion rubles, he reported.

The transfer of Aptar assets to Zakriev's structures is a continuation of the practice of transferring assets of companies that have left Russia to trusted persons, believes Chechen political scientist Ruslan Kutaev*. The fact that Zakriev and his father are under sanctions from the U.S. and the UK was, in his opinion, not decisive.

"Of course, logically, their assets [of those who left the Russian Federation] will be transferred to other people. Kadyrov shows consistent loyalty to the Kremlin here, and therefore the people he recommends will be put in charge. And sanctions, some kind of persecution - this is also logical, but for managing the assets that remain in Russia, it does not matter," he said.

The percentage of votes with which Kadyrov is re-elected also does not matter, Kutaev* believes. "The question is different - he is re-elected, he has become the leader of the republic again, and he is trusted. He, his relatives, and his entourage will continue to behave in this direction as they did before," he explained.

Any actions regarding the transfer of management entail negative economic consequences in themselves, and the personality of the appointed manager does not have decisive significance, believes leading researcher, head of the laboratory for spatial development problems at the Institute of Market Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences Mikhail Chernyshev.

"There are global problems in the economy that really have scale and depth. And who is appointed as the external manager of the assets - this is a trifle; whether it is Ivanov or Petrov - this is a secondary question. External management will not tear apart the assets, sell them, and so on. Its task is to ensure that money is not withdrawn. There is a question of good faith in this, but this is a separate topic," he said.

The legal aspect of such decisions is important, as some foreign companies, like Auchan at one time, entered Russia under investment guarantee agreements, Chernyshev noted.

"From a broader perspective, an important issue from the point of view of the economy is whether investments will be made in you. And external management is a kind of insurance position. There is no economy there. In the economy, everything remains as it was: you come to the same "Auchan", the same shelves, the same cash registers. The other thing is if they stop supplies, if they start closing retail spaces, terminating supply contracts, laying off staff. This affects the economy. But in general, the external manager should not allow this to happen," he explained.