KIEV, Ukraine -- The Kiev government condemned Russia today for "confiscating" chocolate factories run by the Ukrainian confectionary giant Roshen and owned by a billionaire who could run for the presidency.
The foreign affairs and economy ministries said Russian riot police on Wednesday seized the factories in the Lipetsk region, about 300 miles from Moscow.
"The Russian authorities carried out the de-facto confiscation of Roshen's production capabilities in Russia," the ministries said, urging Moscow to "immediately cease" action blocking the firm's operations.
A Roshen spokesman told Russia's official news agency ITAR-TASS that the company's production in Russia was halted on Wednesday after a raid ordered by prosecutors.
The company, whose sweets are popular across the former Soviet Union, is controlled by Petro Poroshenko, who helped finance protests that ousted pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych last month.
A former economy minister, Poroshenko is among the favourites in opinion polls ahead of a May 25 presidential election, although he has yet to confirm his candidacy.
