Ukraine's Supreme Court has rejected a motion by Gazprom to reverse a ruling by the Higher Economic Court on July 13, 2016, which upheld rulings by lower judicial authorities regarding a fine of UAH 172 billion ($6.6 billion at the current rate) imposed against the Russian gas giant, the Supreme Court said its own ruling.

The Ukrainian Anti-monopoly Committee imposed the fine.

Supreme Court judges looked at the motion and, guided by Article 111.16 of the Economic Procedural Code, found no grounds or a reversal.

The Antimonopoly Committee in January 2016 decided to fine Gazprom UAH 85 billion for abuse of its monopoly of the Ukrainian market for transit shipments of natural gas. This decision was upheld on several occasions by Ukrainian courts. In the latest ruling, on February 22 the Kyiv business court of appeals upheld the ruling of a lower court confirming the order to recover the fine from Gazprom, which had already grown to UAH 172 billion (about $6.4 billion) with fines for nonpayment.

Kyiv's business court on March 17, 2017 ruled to collect UAH 172 billion from the Russian company, as the court ruling took effect.

The Antimonopoly Committee on April 11, 2017 sent a petition to enforce collection of UAH 172 billion from Russia's Gazprom to the State Enforcement Service of Ukraine.

Ukrainian Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko has said the Justice Ministry was exploring legal means to enforce the decision to recover funds from Gazprom in the territories of other states.