After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, international and Ukrainian businesses withdrew en masse from the Russian market. However, some companies continue to operate in the territory of the aggressor country, earning billions in profits and paying taxes to the Russian budget.
Many international companies operating in the food industry market have withdrawn from the Russian market after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine: for example, McDonald's, Starbucks, Carlsberg and many others. Some have suspended investments and production in the Russian Federation (such as Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Danone, etc.).
Global companies continue to operate in Ukraine and the Russian Federation
However, a number of companies continue to do business in the Russian Federation. For example, the French company Lesaffre is the largest yeast producer in the world and in Russia in particular. According to the Leave-Russia platform from KSEInstitute, as of today the company receives more than $ 120 million per year from the Russian market and pays more than $ 18 million in taxes to the Russian budget. At the same time, the company also operates in Ukraine. Another example is the Italian Master Martini, which is also actively doing business in Russia , while also operating in the Ukrainian market . The company specializes in the production of food ingredients for the confectionery and bakery industries. In Russia, Master Martini products are widely represented and sold, in particular, through the company Masterkofe.rf , which is the official representative of the brand.
Screenshot of the Russian Master Martini website -
Screenshot from the website Masterkofe.rf, which sells Master Martini products - https://мастеркофе.рф/product/master-martini-шоколад-белый-31-bianco-pani-36-38-плитка-1кг/
One of the companies that continues to do business in both Ukraine and Russia is Puratos . It is a Belgian corporation that operates in the food industry and supplies ingredients for bakeries, confectioneries, and candy shops. Puratos operates in over a hundred countries and supplies its products to giants such as McDonald's, Starbucks, and Walmart.
On March 6, 2022, the All-Ukrainian Association of Bakers published an official letter of appeal to the so-called "ingredient" companies regarding the need to exit the Russian market. The appeal concerned, in particular, the aforementioned Lesaffre , Puratos Group and Master Martini Ukraine . The letter was signed by the then president of the All-Ukrainian Association of Bakers Yuriy Duchenko (part-time director of Kyiv Khlib LLC). Interestingly, three years later, in June 2025, his wife Yulia Duchenko, who is the director of Stolichny Pekarny Dim LLC, received two awards from the Baking Awards with Lesaffre "for preserving Ukrainian traditions."
Yulia Duchenko received awards from the Baking Awards with Lesaffre – screenshot from her Facebook page
Puratos work in the Russian Federation: profits and taxes
Puratos operates in the Russian Federation, annually receiving more than $120 million in profit from the aggressor country's market. According to the Leave-Russia platform from KSEInstitute, Puratos has assets in Russia worth $64 million and annually pays $5 million in taxes to the aggressor country's budget. The company's profits and assets in the Russian Federation are growing steadily, even after a full-scale invasion.
Screenshot from the Leave-russia platform
Screenshot from Russian registers - https://www.audit-it.ru/contragent/1027739078124_ao-puratos
The head office of Puratos-Russia, a subsidiary of the Belgian corporation Puratos Group, is located in Podolsk, near Moscow.
In 2009, a plant was opened in Podolsk and its own production started. The second production site began its work in 2016. In early 2021, Puratos-Russia acquired the company Rushleb Issledovaniya in St. Petersburg, which was a step towards expanding the range. Currently, almost the entire range of the company (90%) is produced in the Russian Federation.
Today, Puratos-Russia products and services are available throughout the Russian Federation, thanks to 7 branches in the largest cities of the country, in the Republic of Belarus and Kazakhstan, as well as 45 distributor companies in all Russian regions and the countries of the former CIS - Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Armenia. Puratos-Russia supplies its products to Georgia and Azerbaijan.
A few months after the full-scale invasion, in an article in the Dzen.ru publication, the director of Puratos-Russia, Natalia Petrenko, stated that their partners and suppliers of the company were looking for ways to continue their business in the Russian Federation. Moreover, according to her, if the company's head office had to "cut them off", the Russian subsidiary would be able to operate in the Russian Federation for several more years.
Director of Puratos-Russia Natalia Petrenko
In January of this year, Puratos-Russia celebrated its 30th anniversary in the Russian Federation. The company stated that over its 30-year history, it has “become one of the leaders in the market of food ingredients for the baking and confectionery industry, and has also gained a reputation as a reliable partner thanks to innovative products, a responsible approach to business, customer focus, and building mutually beneficial relationships.”
Screenshot from the Puratos-Russia website
The company also congratulated Russians on Russia Day and Victory Day .
Screenshot from the official Telegram channel "Puratos-Russia"
"Puratos-Russia" ranks fourth among the five largest food manufacturers in terms of revenue in the Russian Federation. And this may indicate the company's direct or indirect participation in the supply of food for the needs of the army of the aggressor country. Since bakery products are an important component of the supply, and today the Russian army remains one of the main consumers of such products.
Screenshot of the rating of Russian food manufacturing organizations - https://www.testfirm.ru/rating/10_89
Many international food companies, such as the Finnish Fazer, have shown their clear position andhave withdrawn from the Russian market despite multi-million losses. And although Puratos' withdrawal from Russia would not cause a humanitarian catastrophe, the company is for some reason not ready to take such a step.
At the same time, Puratos declares its support for Ukrainian business
Puratos-Ukraine LLC was founded in 2005. It is also a subsidiary of the international corporation Puratos Group. The director of the Ukrainian company is Solovey Serhiy Anatoliyovych .
Serhiy Solovey. Photo from the interview https://delo.ua/business/vozrozhdenie-feniksa-kak-proizvoditel-ingredientov-dlja-vypechki-317834/
"Puratos Ukraine", in addition to supplying ingredients to specialized companies, is also engaged in the production of bakery, confectionery and chocolate products. The "Puratos Ukraine" plant, built in 2016, has 3 production lines (margarine, fillings and glazes, dry mixes) and produces about 120 thousand tons of products per year.
Screenshot from the YouControl platform
In December 2022, Puratos Ukraine created the Fund for the Restoration of the Bread Industry of Ukraine. The website states that it was “established for material and technological support of Ukrainian enterprises of the bakery and confectionery industries that suffered as a result of Russian aggression.” It also states that the main goal of the Fund is to restore damaged production lines and purchase raw materials for production. The head of the fund is Serhiy Solovey, director of Puratos Ukraine LLC. According to the Opendatabot platform, he is the only employee there.
Screenshot from the YouControl platform
Screenshot from the Opendatabot platform . Only one person works at the Foundation - https://opendatabot.ua/c/44912850?from=search
According to the website, any affected enterprise in the bread industry can apply for assistance. However, no transparent reports from the Fund on the provision of assistance to specific enterprises, except for one, could be found. The only company that actually received assistance from the Fund in the form of a grant for the purchase of destroyed equipment in 2023 is Chanta Mount, which produces bread and bakery products. And this is probably the only achievement of the Fund, which was founded in 2022.
The President of the All-Ukrainian Association of Bakers, Yuriy Duchenko, in an interview with a specialized media outlet, noted that donors and foundations do not provide funding until the end of the war. Financial payments are indeed promised, but after the end of the war. And here it is worth emphasizing that the fund is a non-profit organization, that is, it does not aim to make a profit. Therefore, when a company creates its own fund, this usually indicates not a business interest, but rather a desire to improve its reputation, strengthen its brand, and gain additional marketing benefits.
Another "advantage" of creating a Fund for "Puratos Ukraine" could probably be the reservation of employees. According to the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 76 dated January 27, 2023, employees of charitable foundations that provide humanitarian support to the population with the assistance of international organizations are subject to reservation if their organization is classified as critical for the functioning of the economy and ensuring the livelihoods of the population in a special period.
Double standards and moral paradox
During the full-scale war in Ukraine, about 20% of bakeries were destroyed, which led to colossal losses for the industry. Some enterprises never resumed production. Among the most powerful of the damaged enterprises are the aforementioned Chanta Mount LLC in the Kyiv region, Lebedynskyi Bakery LLC in the Sumy region, as well as Kulynichi Bakery LLC in the Kharkiv region. The destruction of these enterprises led to a decrease in production volumes and a worsening of the economic situation. Enterprises are forced to either completely stop production or restore capacity using their own funds and investments. And there is no question of assistance from funds in this case.
And here the question of double standards arises. "Puratos-Russia" probably pays millions of dollars in taxes to Russia and supplies products to state-owned enterprises producing bakery products for the needs of the population. At the same time, "Puratos-Ukraine" is creating a charitable fund for the restoration of enterprises of the bakery industry destroyed or damaged by Russian shelling.
That is, on the one hand, there is probable financial support for the economy and defense potential of the aggressor country, and on the other hand, demonstrative charity on the territory of the state suffering from this aggression. Thus, the company's creation of the Fund for the Restoration of the Grain Industry of Ukraine may look like an attempt to mitigate reputational risks.
But could the Foundation's activities be a cover for Puratos' commercial interests? And is it even morally permissible to accept aid from a company that continues to finance an aggressor state?
In the conditions of a full-scale war in Ukraine, transparency and business responsibility should be a priority. The company's website states that "Puratos Ukraine" is aware of the special importance of the food industry for the physical survival of people and for the preservation of civilizational, cultural, humanistic values, such as confidence in the future and sustainable development." But, most likely, it does not realize it. After all, by working in the Russian Federation and paying taxes to the Russian budget, the company can finance the army of the aggressor country. According to Reuters, Russia's defense spending is 32% of the total federal budget for 2025!
The company's public statements about humanistic values and concern for stability seem contradictory against the background of its continued operations in a state waging a brutal war against Ukraine. Participation in financing the Russian budget – even indirectly – cannot be ignored when a third of this budget can be directed to the needs of the Russian army.
Today, Puratos continues to develop its business in the Russian Federation and, apparently, does not plan to leave the Russian market. And the opening of the Fund for the Restoration of the Bread Industry of Ukraine indicates that the company can continue to operate in our country. Therefore, the Puratos Corporation will continue to conduct business simultaneously in Ukraine and Russia, as long as its subsidiaries are profitable.
