Russia's state nuclear company Rosatom took full control of logistics group Delo in a deal announced on Wednesday, saying it plans to create the country's largest network of rail, road and port terminals.
Rosatom, which previously held 49 per cent of Delo, bought the remaining 51 per cent stake from the company's founder Sergei Shishkaryov. It will combine Delo with its own transport assets, including shipping group FESCO.
The deal expands the reach and ambition of Rosatom, which is the world's biggest builder of nuclear power stations but whose operations range far beyond atomic energy.
It is also the Russian state entity charged with developing the Northern Sea Route, a transport corridor across the Arctic that President Vladimir Putin has championed as a strategic priority.
Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev announced the deal but did not state its value. Shishkaryov confirmed the sale and said he would direct a significant part of the proceeds to "national security needs".
He did not give details, but several prominent Russian businessmen have made donations to support the state budget, which has been strained by Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Delo is Russia's leading container logistics operator, owning marine and inland terminals, a container fleet with capacity exceeding 220,000 TEU and 40,000 rail platforms.
The group also controls the KSK grain terminal at Novorossiysk port, Russia's largest grain export terminal on the Black Sea, with annual capacity of up to 10 million tonnes.
Operations at major Black Sea grain terminals including KSK were temporarily suspended this summer due to security concerns and Ukrainian attacks on port infrastructure.
(Reporting by Anastasiya Lyrchikova and Gleb Stolyarov; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Joe Bavier)