Putin plans to bring vodka under state control
The state already owns more than half the country's alcohol production of around 1.5 billion litres through its Rosspirtprom arm.
08/02/05 Russian president Vladimir Putin is planning to get hold of as much vodka as possible.
After grabbing a large chunk of Russia's oil industry with his attack on Yukos, the Russian president is examining plans to bring the vodka industry back under state control.
Russia’s alcohol industry is worth £2.7bn a year. The state already owns more than half the country's alcohol production of around 1.5 billion litres through its Rosspirtprom arm, but has waged a long battle to win control over vodka brands launched in the mid 1990s by the SPI group.
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