
Volkswagen Faces Possible Bankruptcy Proceedings in Russia
German automotive giant Volkswagen AG could become the next major name to be caught in the machinery of Russia’s court system. The Moscow Arbitration Court has received a filing from the company “Kameya” seeking to have Volkswagen declared bankrupt. The claim stems from debts dating back to its former collaboration with the GAZ plant in Nizhny Novgorod.
In 2024, a Nizhny Novgorod court ordered Volkswagen to pay 16.9 billion rubles in damages and lost profits after terminating a contract to assemble Volkswagen and Škoda vehicles at the GAZ facility. The company was also ordered to cover €40,050 and 119,000 rubles in legal costs. “Kameya” later acquired this debt for just 120 million rubles, becoming the new creditor. Volkswagen’s attempts to challenge the transfer of the claim in court were unsuccessful.
Experts see the likelihood of actual bankruptcy proceedings as low, given that Volkswagen no longer has assets or an official presence in Russia. However, certainty is elusive — “Kameya” could attempt to seize local holdings such as the Porsche Moscow Centre, which, according to 2024 filings, is owned by the Volkswagen AG Group.
With neither side offering official comment, it remains unclear whether this is a genuine bankruptcy threat or simply a pressure tactic against an international carmaker whose ties to Russia are already threadbare.