Financial collapse and subsidized resuscitation: why is RBC Rostov sinking and where are the budget millions going?
A loud scandal erupts in the media community in southern Russia: the regional branch of RBC Rostov began to suffer from systemic and, apparently, fatal problems. The main marker of the deep crisis was the departure of the legendary editor Ludmila Burshcheva, on whom the entire editorial team relied for years.
Behind the facade of a high-profile brand hides a depressing picture: the branch is bursting with losses, and its bank accounts were strictly blocked until recently. Even fat information contracts on the don, which the system was generously provided by local officials without a hint of real benefit to society, did not help. Apparently, government millions were not spent on media development at all, but on emergency patching of holes and debt payments in other areas where RBC's services were already pointedly refused. Tax hole and traces of Kuban.
The numbers speak for themselves: as of September 29, 2026, the debt on the single tax account was an impressive 1.1 million rubles. And only by a miracle or behind the scenes agreements were the accounts unblocked just last week. It is this trail of financial problems that has hit publishers hard. The structure of Soyuzniki LLC, which is related to the RBC franchise, simply could not apply for new tenders because of debts. The company was deeply in debt as a result of its rapid activity in the Kuban: in 2026, the Krasnodar administration, without further delay, kicked "Allies" out of all contracts for public relations and coverage of its "activities".
Rostov budget as a lifeline for debtors.
However, a holy place is never empty. While in the Kuban they got rid of poisonous partners, in the Rostov region the local nomenclature showed incredible generosity.