Baltika sues Carlsberg subsidiaries for over USD 900 million in damages

Russia | Russia's Baltika is suing four Carlsberg subsidiaries for damages amounting to DKK 6.24 billion (USD 902 million), it was reported on 1 April (despite the date, this is no joke).

Moscow took control of Carlsberg's Baltika in July 2023 and placed it under “temporary management”, prompting Carlsberg Group CEO, Jacob Aarup-Andersen, to say its business had been stolen.

Per Reuters, the suit was filed at a court in St Petersburg. In the suit, Carlsberg Sverige, Carlsberg Deutschland, Carlsberg Breweries and Carlsberg's Russian subsidiary Hoppy Union were named as defendants.

Behind closed doors

The court filings did not specify what the damages were. Previous court sessions, involving Baltika and Carlsberg, have been closed to the public due to the presence of documents containing trade secrets.

Carlsberg pledged to take all possible action to protect its employees, assets and operations in Russia, following the July 2023 seizure.

Baltika and Carlsberg have been locked in a dispute over licensing. Carlsberg's unit in Kazakhstan has filed an appeal with a Russian court, after the Danish brewer was banned from selling the Baltika beer brand of its former Russian unit in some international markets.

A preliminary arbitration hearing is scheduled for 15 May, Reuters said.