Stolen for billions: SBU reported suspicion to three more heads of Firtash’s regional gas companies

This year, Ukrainian businessman Dmytro Firtash was informed of a suspicion of embezzling billions of dollars worth of state-owned gas, and some heads of his regional gas companies received similar suspicions.

According to the SBU, the Ukrainian Security Service and the BEB continue to investigate the corruption schemes of the sanctioned oligarch Dmitry Firtash and the top management of companies controlled by him.

“This time, the criminal activities of the chairmen of the boards of Volyngas, Kryvorizhgaz and Chernihivgaz, who are also involved in the theft of blue fuel from the gas transportation system of Ukraine, have been documented. These companies are actually controlled by the management of Regional Gas Company LLC (RGK affiliated with Firtash), which manages 20 municipal and regional gas companies in total, which is 70% of all gas distribution networks in Ukraine,” - the message says.

The heads of the regional gas companies were informed about the suspicion under a number of articles on the misappropriation of property, its embezzlement or taking it by abuse of official position.

To date, 11 heads of individual regional gas companies and four functionaries of Firtash’s financial and industrial group have been suspected.

The SBU recalled the exposure of a large-scale scheme - officials of Firtash’s regional gas companies plundered more than 70% of the funds allocated for the purchase of gas. Thus, during 2021 alone, the illegal activities of the defendants caused damage to the state by more than UAH 4.2 billion, and the total amount of damage, according to preliminary estimates, during 2016-2022 could be more than UAH 18 billion.

Recall that this summer, Kyivoblgaz, Zhytomyrgaz and Lvovgaz, which were part of Firtash’s regional gas companies, were handed over to Naftogaz Ukrainy.

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