Russia puts German retailer Metro's assets under temporary administration amid Ukraine tensions

MOSCOW, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Russia has placed the local assets of German retailer Metro AG under temporary administration, according to a presidential decree published on Monday, amid heightened Ukraine-linked tensions between Moscow and Berlin.

The assets have been transferred to Russian company UK Torg RUS, which was established on September 8 and is wholly owned, according to Russian corporate data, by Johannes Tolay, the chief executive of Metro's Russian business.

The decree did not give a reason for the transfer of control, but it followed a rare weekend meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and German counterpart Johann Wadephul on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York to discuss Ukraine. 

Lavrov complained that he had learned nothing new from Wadephul, whose country is a staunch supporter of Ukraine. Germany this month said it had concluded that Russia was responsible for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport and ordered a series of measures in response, including closure of a consulate and a Russian cultural centre in Berlin. Moscow denied the allegations, saying they had been fabricated.

In a statement on Monday, Metro AG said it no longer had operational control over its Russian subsidiary and that it was evaluating further implications of the move.

Metro expanded into the Russian market in 2001. Today it operates 91 wholesale stores and employs 9,000 people in Russia, the company says.

Unlike many other Western companies, it remained in Russia after Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a decision it said was based on its responsibility to employees and customers.

In a separate statement, Metro's Russian subsidiary did not comment directly on the decree but said it was operating as normal and fulfilling all obligations to shoppers at its retail outlets and online stores.

The Kremlin this month transferred control of the Russian assets of Swiss food giant Nestle and French retailer Auchan, saying that hostile actions by "unfriendly" countries played a role in that decision.   

(Reporting by Reuters, Writing by Alessandra PrenticeEditing by Andrew Osborn, Alexandra Hudson and David Goodman)