Latvian State Security Service (VDD) reports that, because of risks to the country’s national security, Minister of the Interior Māris Kučinskis has added three owners of LLC Pobeda Confectionery to the list of foreigners banned from entering the Republic of Latvia.
This company’s sweets factory is located in Ventspils (opened in 2016). Its sales office is located in Mārupe. In March 2023 VDD commenced an investigation of suspicions about Latvia-based Pobeda Confectionery’s possible involvement in providing aid to Russian armed forces. VDD received information that Russia-based Pobeda sweets factory may have donated a large amount of its products to Russian armed forces, who are accused of severe war crimes, crimes against peace and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.
Since 2014 Pobeda Confectionery, which has ties to the Russian sweets factory, has been active in Latvia since 2014. It produces and sells products under Pobeda brand. VDD investigated the Latvia-based company, its owners and beneficial owners for possible involvement in providing aid to the Russian army.
VDD’s analysis shows that the Russian sweets factory
has been providing systematic support to the Russian military memorial policy and has supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Russian armed forces in general for a long time.
VDD also found that Russian army rations also include products from Russian sweets factory Pobeda. This confectionery company has been providing the Russian army with its products for years and still continues even after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This means Pobeda provides resources to the occupation forces in Ukraine. On top of that, the Russian sweets factory has worked together with Russian war veterans organisation Battle Brotherhood, which supports Russia’s aggressive foreign policy and regularly provides various resources to Russian troops.
VDD investigation
did not confirm suspicions of LLC Pobeda Confectionery’s possible involvement in provision of support for the Russian army.
However, the owners of the Russian sweets factory are listed as owners of Latvia-based Pobeda Confectionery. Because they are not citizens of Latvia, to prevent threats to Latvia’s national security, VDD decided to ask the minister of the interior to blacklist these people and ban them from entering Latvia.
The staff of Pobeda Confectionery received a warning that provision of any kind of support to Russia is a criminal offence in Latvia.
Pobeda Confectionery was registered in Latvia in 2014 with a base capital of EUR 3 060. 90.2% of this company’s capital is owned by Cyprus-based Adellaar Holdings Limited. The rest is owned by Russian citizens Vitaly and Olga Muravyov. Pobeda, founded in 2000 in Yegorjevsk city near Moscow is one of the biggest sweets factories in Russia. In 2019 it sold products in more than 20 countries.
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