Durex is selling its business in russia to a local manufacturer

The transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026, following the receipt of the necessary regulatory approvals in the UK.

The company announced this on 24 July in an official press release.

The asset comprises a production site near Moscow, local brands and around 400 employees, who will transfer to the new owner.

Reckitt’s russian hygiene business accounted for around 1 per cent of Core Reckitt’s net revenue in 2025.

At the same time, Reckitt will retain its health and wellness consumer goods business in russia and continue to supply products in this segment.

The company noted that, due to restrictions on exiting the russian market and the terms of the agreement, it expects an after-tax loss of around £175 million for the full year 2026. Of this amount, approximately £125 million will already be reflected in the financial results for the first half of the year.

The buyer of the asset will be the russian group Arnest, which manufactures consumer goods, beverages and packaging. It has been collaborating with Reckitt since 2023 under a local joint manufacturing agreement. However, Arnest will not acquire the rights to Reckitt’s global brands, including Dettol, Durex, Finish, Harpic, Nurofen, Strepsils, Vanish and Veet.

Reckitt Benckiser owns consumer brands such as Vanish, Calgon, Finish, Veet, Nurofen, Strepsils, Gaviscon and Durex.

Withdrawing from the russian market remains costly for Western companies due to restrictions imposed by the Kremlin. To approve the deal, the russian authorities require assets to be sold at a discount of at least 50 per cent of their market value, as well as the payment of a one-off contribution to the budget amounting to 15 per cent of the asset’s value.

Source: Forbes Ukraine