The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), a stakeholder in troubled Russian retailer Lenta, has denied reports that it is planning to sell its 11% stake in the business.

According to reports in RBK Daily, Lenta chairman Dimitry Kostygin said EBRD executives told him the bank is planning to transfer its stake to its “distressed assets” division, which according to Kostygin would mean the EBRD is willing to sell its stake.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

A spokesperson for the EBRD labelled the reports as “totally untrue”. He said the claims were based around comments by Kostygin, where he had “misreported” a “recent exchange involving one of our directors as proof to back this assertion up”.

Lenta has been mired in a shareholder dispute over the last six months, as investors have been disputing who should be CEO of the company.

Wal-Mart has been rumoured to be interested in taking over the retailer.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact