Google Filed Bankruptcy for its Russian Subsidiary in a Moscow Court
Multiple news outlets reported that a court in Moscow approved the bankruptcy application for the Russian subsidiary of Google. However, Moscow has already established a primary bankruptcy procedure to bring the company under federal supervision. The Russian authorities seized Google’s bank accounts and its Russian unit submitted a bankruptcy application this summer.
The reports said the recent move will stop the company from paying employees and suppliers. Meanwhile, Google’s Russian subsidiary announced in May 2022 that it will submit a bankruptcy application. The subsidiary officially submitted a bankruptcy file to a Moscow court in June 2022. It is important that Russia has formerly prevented user access to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
The Extreme Pressure on Google’s Hosting Services
Moreover, Google and YouTube video hosting services are experiencing extreme pressure but are still available to users. Xinhua News Agency reported an announcement from Ukrainian State Nuclear Power Corporation. The report said the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has stopped its operation. The State Nuclear Power Company of Ukraine issued an official statement.
The Power Company said the last power unit running at the Zaporizhzhia power plant was disconnected from the national grid. However, the TASS news agency quoted the statement of a representative of Zaporizhzhia’s local administrative agency. The representative said the unit was held up in a trustworthy approach. The Russian Satellite News Agency also issued a statement.
Zaporizhzhia Plant’s Unit 6 Stopped Operation
The agency said Unit 6 was the only operating power unit running at minimum power. But Unit 6 stopped running at 3:45 pm. Now, the unit has completely stopped electricity generation. It is noteworthy that Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe. The power plant contains 6 nuclear reactors and just the 6th reactor is still operational.
The nuclear power plant is providing electricity for residential areas. Moreover, the recent move will support cooling and other essential safety functionalities in the station. Keep in mind that Russia and Ukraine blamed each other for shelling nuclear power plants. The international community has also shown concerns that the shelling of nuclear power plants could bring a nuclear disaster.
The Evacuation Around the Nuclear Plant
Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities called on residents of the Russian-occupied zone on September 7. The authorities advised residents around the nuclear power plant to immediately evacuate and find a safe place. The Washington Post reported that Google’s Moscow-based subsidiary has filed for bankruptcy. The move came after the Russian seizure of its assets.
Meanwhile, the seizure of Google’s assets has made it unfeasible to run its business in Russia. The search giant confirmed that it has also shifted most of its employees out of the country. The company has also filed a notice of intention in the Russian federal register to declare bankruptcy. Gmail, YouTube, and Google Search services are all famous in Russian communities and are still working.
Google Stopped Paying Suppliers and Employees
Google spokesperson Julie Tarallo McAlister also issued a statement. She said the seizure of Google bank accounts from Russian authorities has made it impossible for its subsidiary to function. It has stopped paying suppliers & vendors, employing & paying employees, and fulfilling other financial tasks in its Russian subsidiary.
In March 2022, the tech giant stopped selling cloud computing and advertising services in Russia. It is part of a move from US companies that pulled back their business activities after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, Russian people depend on Google’s services to access quality information. So, the company has kept running Gmail, Maps, Search, and YouTube services in the country.