Russia’s Rutube video platform plans “immediate” and “significant” staff cuts ahead of a merger with other Gazprom-owned media companies, the business news outlet Frank Media reported on Wednesday, citing anonymous sources close to the company.
Gazprom Media announced in June that Rutube would be combined with streaming service Premier and TikTok-style app Yappy under a single Rutube brand, expected to launch in the first half of 2026.
“All of these companies had overlapping positions, and because there will now be one large platform, many roles are no longer needed,” one source told Frank Media.
Gazprom Media said it was considering “various restructuring and optimization options” but did not specify how many employees would be cut. Frank Media reported that “entire departments are leaving.”
Yappy, which was launched as Russia’s answer to TikTok, is reported to have only about 30 of its original 300 employees remaining.
“The HR department added that the company doesn’t have the money to maintain such a large staff,” a source told Frank Media.
Gazprom Media and its subsidiaries posted a loss of 247 million rubles ($3 million) in 2024, while parent company Gazprom reported revenues of 163.5 billion rubles ($2 billion).
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