ABBYY lays off hundreds of developers from Russia, Belarus amid reorganization

(MENAFN) Hundreds of software developers who relocated from Russia and Belarus in 2022 to continue working with ABBYY have reportedly been laid off during a "reorganization" of offices across three European countries.

Founded in the USSR in 1989, ABBYY has provided intelligent automation solutions and eventually moved its headquarters to Silicon Valley. Following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022, the company offered numerous Russian developers the opportunity to relocate to Cyprus, Hungary, or Serbia. However, on Monday, most of these developers were terminated via a conference call.

A spokesperson for ABBYY USA stated that the company has “embarked on a path of business transformation and modernization,” reorganizing key operations, including its Research and Development (R&D) department. “This global transformation allows us to reinvest in future growth and accelerate product and solution innovation for our customers,” they added.

ABBYY did not disclose the exact number of affected employees, but several Russian media outlets, citing anonymous ex-employees, reported that between 200 to 400 people were let go, with the Cyprus office allegedly eliminated entirely. Claims circulating on social media suggested that “everyone who had a Russian passport” was fired, and some former employees alleged they were replaced by less expensive coders from India, although this has not been verified.

Russian lawmaker Aleksandr Khinstein commented on the situation, warning that Russians will always face discrimination in the West. “I don’t intend to gloat about this; people found themselves in a difficult situation,” he wrote on Telegram. “But their example should serve as a good lesson for everyone going forward: don’t rely on a caring foreign uncle. It doesn’t matter whether you are a ‘good’ or a ‘bad’ Russian; you are still Russian and therefore a second-class citizen.”

Ex-employees have speculated that American investors may have influenced the company to eliminate all Russian and Belarusian employees, though reports indicated that some individuals managed to retain their positions.
 

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