National joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrainy has filed claims to collect UAH 3.916 billion of debts and sanctions from public joint-stock company Kyivenergo for natural gas consumed in 2014-2015.

According to a report on the Judicial Power of Ukraine portal, the claims are to be heard by the business court of Kyiv on August 11, 2015.

The sum of sanctions totaled UAH 1.452 billion, including the late fee of UAH 473.1 million, inflation – UAH 763.4 million, fine – UAH 193.3 million, 3% per annum – another UAH 22.4 million.

Kyivenergo told Interfax-Ukraine that the company does not agree with the sanctions and will protect its position in court.

"We believe that the sanctions accrued by Naftogaz on the company's debt are groundless and we plan to protect this position in court. According to our opinion, actions of Naftogaz are not in line with the requirements of law No. 423-VIII, which took effect in June 2015, and they deprive Kyivenergo of the rights presented in this law," Law Director Olha Iyevleva said.

Kyivenergo said that the company's debt for gas directly depends on payments of consumers for heating and electricity and payments by state enterprise Energomarket for electricity transmitted. The total debt of consumers and the state enterprise to the company is UAH 3 billion, which is more than the sum Naftogaz Ukrainy claims from Kyivenergo, if the sanctions are not taken into account.

"Payments for gas used for generating heat to Naftogaz Ukrainy are being settled via special accounts created under the cabinet resolution. All the funds coming from consumers are directly sent to Naftogaz. The sum of the accumulated debt for gas is actually the debt of consumers, including the debt of the state. Kyivenergo is permanently working with debtors, but due to biased reasons the debt is being reduced no so quickly as wished it to be. The company several times asked Naftogaz to restructure the debt, using legal grounds, but, unfortunately, we have not yet been given a chance to use our legal right," Kyivenergo CFO Tetiana Hriaznova said.

Iyevleva said that the requirements of the law foresee the restructuring of the 2014 debt for gas without accruing sanctions. The law envisages the writing off of all fines for the 2013 debts if there was no debt as of January 1, 2104 and or it is paid during three months after the law took effect.

She said that Kyivenergo fulfilled the conditions of law No. 423-VII that took effect on June 6 and paid the debt for natural gas consumed before January 1, 2014.

Kyivenergo operates every energy facility in Kyiv, except for Darnytsia combined heat and power plant.