Russia transferred four Bayadera-linked alcohol companies to state control

Four Russian companies linked to the Ukrainian alcohol producer Bayadera Group have been transferred to Russia’s Federal Agency for State Property Management, according to changes recorded in the country’s Unified State Register of Legal Entities and cited by the business news agency AK&M.

AK&M reported that the companies are ATK LLC, also known as Alcoholic Traditions of Crimea, Southern Alcoholic Traditions LLC, Business Group LLC and NAT LLC, or National Alcoholic Traditions. The outlet said the ownership changes appeared in the registry through the information system Honest Business.

The move follows a lawsuit filed by Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office. According to AK&M, prosecutors alleged that the group’s beneficiaries sent substantial sums to support Ukraine’s armed forces. The office asked the court to classify the group’s activities as extremist, ban them and transfer stakes in five enterprises under their control to the state.

AK&M said the former owners were entities affiliated with Yuri Moklyak, a businessman from Crimea. Citing the newspaper Kommersant, it added that Bayadera Group’s actual leaders were Natalia Bondareva and Svyatoslav Nechitailo, who, according to that account, reassigned assets after beginning work with Moklyak.

The companies that changed hands were part of Bayadera Group’s alcohol holding operations in Russia. AK&M reported that the group’s main production is concentrated at the Velikoustyug Distillery. Its best-selling brands include Light Vodka Air, which accounted for 42% of sales, Village Quail at 15.2% and Vaccine at 6%. Wine sold under the Wineday brand is produced for the group by Sovetsky Wine House wineries, according to the report.

The case matters beyond ownership because it affects operating companies tied to vodka and wine distribution in one of Russia’s largest consumer markets. AK&M said 66% of the group’s wine and vodka products are sold in Moscow, while NAT LLC handles the main wholesale flows. The agency reported that NAT LLC posted revenue of 14.6 billion rubles in 2023.

That means the state takeover could reshape regional supply channels, brand management and production planning across parts of the spirits and wine trade, especially if legal action against the broader group continues. For beverage producers and distributors, any disruption involving wholesale control, bottling orders or trademark use can quickly affect availability in stores and pricing negotiations with retailers.

The transfer also adds to a wider pattern in Russia of using courts and state agencies to seize or reassign assets in politically sensitive cases since the start of the war in Ukraine. In this instance, the dispute reaches directly into a consumer goods business with established alcohol brands and a large presence in Moscow, making it closely watched by companies involved in wine and spirits sales.