JSC Ukrtransgaz has asked the National Commission for the State Regulation of Energy, Housing and Utilities Services (NCER) to check 32 operators of gas distribution pipelines if they illegally pump gas out of the pipelines.

The press service of the company said that as of late September, the accumulated debt for illegal pumping of gas by operators of gas distribution pipelines for own technical needs reached almost UAH 26 billion, and 65% of the debt (UAH 17 billion) is the debt of the operators, which are part of the Regional Gas Company.

"Operators of gas distribution pipelines continue illegally pumping gas for own technical needs and not paying for it, while Ukrtransgaz has to buy the required volumes of gas to keep the gas transmission system operating at market prices, investing own funds," the company said.

According to the report, the application sent to the regulator concerns the following operators: Vinnytsiagaz, Dniprogaz, Dnipropetrovskgaz, Donetskoblgaz, Zhytomyrgaz, Zakarpatgaz, Zaporizhgaz, Ivano-Franskivskgaz, Kyivoblgaz, Kirovohradgaz, Korostyshivgaz, Kremenchukgaz, and Kryvorizhgaz.

In addition, the list of operators includes Lubnygaz, Luhanskgaz, Lvivgaz, Mykolaivgaz, Odesagaz, Rivnegaz, Sumygaz, Ternopilgaz, Ternopilmiskgaz, Tysmenytsiagaz, Umangaz, Kharkivgaz, Kharkivmiskgaz, Khersongaz, Khmelnytskgaz, Cherkasygaz, Chernivtsigaz, Chernihivgaz, and Volyngaz.