The key facts
- All 53 Trassa network stations in the Moscow Region have been shut down; 40 stations have already been sealed, and the remaining 17 are to be repossessed by the end of the week
- About 1,400 employees are on forced downtime with two-thirds of their salary, but they cannot receive the money because the accounts have been frozen
- EvroTrans faces bankruptcy: the company has previously defaulted on its bonds, and the tax service demanded that its subsidiary be declared bankrupt
The network shut down after 30 years of operation
All 53 filling stations of the Trassa network, owned by PJSC EvroTrans, have ceased operations in Moscow Region. This was reported by Interfax, citing the regional ministry of energy; after 30 years in business, representatives of the network also announced the shutdown on social media. Before the shutdown, Trassa ranked second in sales volume among independent filling station operators in Moscow and the Moscow Region.
Seizure of stations and the situation of employees
According to the ministry, the owner of the assets — Gazprombank Leasing — has begun repossessing all 57 stations previously leased to EvroTrans: 53 are located in Moscow Region, and four more are in other regions of Russia. In the Moscow Region, 40 filling stations have already been sealed and employees' access to the facilities has been cut off; the remaining 17 stations are to be repossessed by the end of the week.
Debts and uncertainty
The situation is complicated by payment problems: about 1,400 employees have been placed on forced downtime with two-thirds of their salary accrued, but in practice they cannot receive the money because the company's bank accounts have been frozen. Administrative operations are also paralyzed: the office lease is overdue, electricity and internet have been cut off, and the website, hotline, personal account in the app, and fuel card top-ups are not working.
Bankruptcy amid debts
EvroTrans faces bankruptcy: the company has been struggling to service its debts for several months and has previously defaulted on its bonds. Earlier, Life.ru reported that the tax service had demanded that the network owner's subsidiary be declared bankrupt — LLC Trassa GSM; the petition was filed with the Arbitration Court of Moscow Region amid numerous financial claims against the holding. The authorities of Moscow Region, together with the federal government, have prepared proposals on the network's future, but no final decision has yet been made.
