No Money, Putin Help—Chinese Workers March Over Unpaid Salaries Near Rosneft Refinery in Russia

Hundreds of Chinese construction workers marched through Komsomolsk-on-Amur in Russia after declaring unpaid wages at a work camp near the city’s Rosneft  refinery, according to Novaya Gazeta Europe on April 12.

The workers, employed by the Petro-Hehua construction firm, walked in a column through the city and appealed directly to Rosneft chief Igor Sechin and to Russian leader Vladimir Putin for help over the wage dispute.

Novaya Gazeta Europe reported no detentions, while footage cited by the outlet showed security personnel in the city center telling passersby that the Chinese workers had come to celebrate Easter.

Videos posted online showed protesters carrying signs in both Russian and English. Some of the banners read “No money,” “Putin help,” and “Sechin help.”

Novaya Gazeta Europe, citing regional outlet 7x7, reported that the protest was linked to unpaid salaries at a construction site near the Komsomolsk refinery.

After the march, part of the group staged a sit-in protest in a forest park, while the city’s mayor, Dmitry Zaplutaev, reported that he was in talks with the workers and refinery management.

The protest also came as Rosneft and Russia’s wider oil sector were already under growing financial pressure—Russia’s top oil producer reported a 73% plunge in net income after US sanctions and a worsening logistics crisis hit operations.

Tension had been building across Russia’s oil industry as sanctions disrupted shipping, financing, and export chains that producers relied on.

Support our frontline reporters

We report from the front lines to show the reality of war. Your support helps us stay there and tell the stories that matter.

DONATE NOW