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German retailer Globus has continued operating and opening stores in Russia while Russian authorities have placed some foreign-owned businesses, including rival Metro, under temporary management. Meduza’s November 10 report links Globus’ position to its business choices and owner Thomas Bruch’s public engagement with Russian officials, but does not establish that those factors guarantee protection from future state action.
German hypermarket chain Globus continues to operate and open stores in Russia, despite the Kremlin’s placement of rival German retailer Metro under temporary management, according to a report published November 10 by Meduza. The report examines how Globus owner Thomas Bruch’s public engagement with Moscow and the company’s continued presence contrast with the risks facing foreign businesses that remain in Russia; it does not establish that Globus is immune from state action.
Russian President Vladimir Putin placed the Russian business of tobacco company JTI under temporary management on November 5, the source material says. Meduza describes the measure as one that formally leaves ownership unchanged but can, in practice, pressure owners to sell on terms they might otherwise reject. The report says roughly 20 companies had been put under temporary management and that Ariston was the only one to regain operational control.
Metro, another German retailer still operating in Russia, was also placed under temporary management, according to Meduza. The report says Metro later donated 1 billion rubles to purchase equipment for Russian soldiers at the front. Globus, by contrast, has avoided the same measure so far and has continued opening stores during the full-scale war. The report gives no count of those openings or a precise timetable for the company’s expansion.
Bruch, Globus’ main shareholder, attended the 2026 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, where he was the only businessperson among the German guests, Meduza reports. His appearance drew coverage in German media. The Kyiv School of Economics’ Leave Russia project ranks Globus second among German companies still operating in Russia by revenue, behind Metro, according to calculations cited by Meduza. Forbes estimates Bruch’s net worth at $1.6 billion.
Globus Faces a Different Russia Risk
The contrast between Globus and Metro shows how uncertain the position of foreign companies remaining in Russia can be. The reported temporary-management cases have affected prominent businesses, including major retailers and producers, while Globus has so far continued its Russian operations. That difference matters to employees, suppliers and customers, as well as to the German company’s owners, because state intervention can alter who controls a business even when legal ownership is not formally transferred.
Globus’ continued expansion also makes its decision more consequential than a quiet effort to preserve existing stores. The company is maintaining a substantial presence in a market where other foreign businesses have faced pressure to sell or have lost operational control. Meduza’s account places Bruch’s attendance at a Kremlin-organized forum and his advocacy for dialogue alongside those commercial decisions. The report does not show that his public stance caused Globus to avoid intervention; the connection remains a possible explanation, not an established fact.
For German readers, the story also highlights a tension between corporate activity and the political setting. Germany is a major supporter of Ukraine and is described in the report as a country Russia considers unfriendly. Globus’ Russian business therefore sits within broader debates over whether companies should remain in Russia, how they manage political and legal risks, and what responsibilities owners have during the war.
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From Dialogue Advocacy to Store Growth
Globus is a German family business founded in 1828, according to the report. Its continued Russian operations are part of a wider pattern: the source says more than 2,000 German companies remain in Russia, citing estimates by the Kyiv School of Economics’ Leave Russia project. Many keep a low profile, while Globus and Bruch have been more publicly visible.
Bruch has argued for engagement with Moscow in interviews over several years. In 2017, he told Die Welt that the West bore a considerable share of blame for the conflict over Crimea and eastern Ukraine, and urged Germany to develop its own approach to Russia. In a 2022 interview with Manager Magazin, he discussed Russian security concerns and the roots of the conflict while saying he wanted peace. He did not, in the account provided, specify what a peace settlement should involve.
In that 2022 interview, Bruch said Globus was not considering leaving Russia, arguing that departure could lead to forced nationalization and benefit no one. Meduza’s report sets that position against subsequent events: Russian authorities have since placed several foreign businesses under temporary management, including Metro. The report says Putin and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov have framed such actions as responses to countries deemed unfriendly, though it also says the selection of targeted companies is not entirely clear.
“In my opinion, the West bears a considerable share of the blame for the conflict over Crimea and eastern Ukraine.”
— Thomas Bruch, in a 2017 interview with Die Welt, as quoted by Meduza
Why Globus Has Avoided Intervention
Meduza’s report does not establish why Russian authorities have not placed Globus under temporary management, or whether the company has received any assurances from officials. Bruch’s public positions and forum attendance are documented in the report, but there is no confirmed causal link between those actions and Globus’ treatment by the state.
It is also unclear how many new stores Globus has opened during the war, what its current Russian revenue is, or whether its operating plans have changed. Temporary management remains a risk for foreign companies in Russia, but the available material does not show that Globus has been formally targeted or that such action is imminent.
Globus’ Russian Operations Remain Under Watch
The immediate next development is whether Globus continues its store expansion and retains control of its Russian business as authorities keep intervening in some foreign-owned companies. The source material does not give a company timetable, announce a pending sale, or describe a new official decision concerning Globus.
Further reporting will be needed to clarify the scale of Globus’ Russian operations, any changes to its investment plans, and whether the company or Russian authorities have addressed its exposure to temporary management. Until then, the confirmed position is that Globus remains active in Russia and has so far avoided the measure applied to Metro.
Key Questions
What is Globus doing in Russia?
Globus continues operating and opening stores in Russia, according to Meduza. The report does not specify how many stores it has opened during the war.
Has Russia placed Globus under temporary management?
No such action against Globus is reported in the source material. Meduza says rival German retailer Metro was placed under temporary management, while Globus has so far avoided it.
Who owns Globus?
Thomas Bruch is Globus’ main shareholder, according to Meduza. Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.6 billion.
Why has Globus avoided state intervention?
The reason is not established. Meduza documents Bruch’s public advocacy for dialogue with Russia and the company’s continued presence, but does not prove either explains why Globus has not been targeted.
What does temporary management mean for a company?
Meduza says the measure formally leaves ownership unchanged but can transfer practical control and pressure owners to sell. The report says Ariston was the only company among roughly 20 cases to regain operational control.
Source: meduza.io
