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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Sanctioned oligarch Firtash is earning billions on gas while Ukrainians are being prepared for a shortage. Who is creating the market shortage to force people to pay more?
Ukrainians are again being prepared for a harsh winter and warned about a possible pressure shortage in the gas system in January–February due to enemy attacks. 🤷♂️However, government officials, including the minister of energy and #Шмигаль, are keeping silent about the main question: who exactly benefits from such a shortage and why the sanctioned oligarch Dmytro #Фірташ still retains influence over a strategic sector.
For years Firtash built control over the gas distribution market through LLC “Regional Gas Company” and LLC “YE Energy.” The scheme worked simply: the oblast gas companies under his control transferred hundreds of millions of hryvnias in prepayments to the company “YE Energy,” but received no more than 30% of the fuel they paid for. ❗️In just 2021 year the difference reached 183,1 million cubic meters of gas worth over 4 billion hryvnias.
Oblast gas companies covered the artificially created gap with state gas from Ukraine’s gas transmission system free of charge, while the funds collected from consumers were siphoned off through commercial entities.
A whole range of regional GDS operators participated in this scheme. In particular,
▪️“Lvivgaz” transferred 583,5 million hryvnias,
▪️“Vinnytsiagaz” — 483,3 million hryvnias,
▪️“Dnipropetrovskgaz” — 379,6 million hryvnias,
▪️“Zakarpattgaz” — 368,2 million hryvnias,
▪️“Dniprogaz” — 133,5 million hryvnias,
▪️“Volyngaz” — 130,8 million hryvnias.
In total, the amount of losses for 2021 year exceeded 4,2 billion hryvnias, and over the period 2016–2022 years reached more than 18 billion hryvnias.
📌State attempts to regain control proved to be a formality. In 2022 year the corporate rights of the GDS operators were seized and transferred to #АРМА and SE “Chornomornaftogaz.” However, 25 June 2024 year #ВАКС lifted the seizure, and although on 28 June the Pechersky District Court of Kyiv imposed it again, the oligarch retained real influence through front persons.
Even while staying in Vienna under threat of extradition after his arrest in Austria in 2014 year, Firtash continues to profit from Ukrainian utility bills.
✅We filed 4 reports of criminal offenses and 5 complaints against more than 500 recipients. Pretrial investigations are currently underway: the Main Investigation Department of the SBU in Kyiv and Kyiv region under case No. 22025101110001285 (part 2 of art. 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), as well as the Investigation Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Dnipropetrovsk region under cases No. 12025040000001131 (part 1 of art. 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and No. 12026040000000658 (part 1 of art. 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
Due to systemic inaction by oversight bodies we submitted a repeated complaint. We demand an investigation into the appropriation of gas from the GTS, verification of the movement of 183 million cubic meters of resource, clarification of the role of LLC “YE ENERGY” and LLC “REGIONAL GAS COMPANY,” identification of the circle of beneficiaries, and reimbursement of the damages caused to the state.
The authorities must finally answer why, during the war, the interests of a sanctioned oligarch are treated as more important than the energy security of citizens.
Materials on the topic:
▫️How Firtash pumped billions from Ukrainian gas, leaving 16,8 billion hryvnias of debt to the state
▫️Firtash’s gas syndicate and JSC “BANK ALLIANCE”: how billions for national defense are funneled into the shadows
▫️How the leadership of the Office of the Prosecutor General and the NBU covered Firtash’s billion-dollar schemes
▫️JSC “Bank Alliance” as a key element of the DF Group’s financial infrastructure
▫️The gas empire of sanctioned Firtash pumped billions through “BANK ALLIANCE” for years. The state handed a strategic resource into the hands of traitors
▫️Energy plunder and the shadow umbrella of Bank Alliance
#скарга #юридичнаклініка #енергетика
TG|FB|YT|TT|INST|WB
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