The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has instructed the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) to transfer the previously seized assets of gas distribution system operators (regional gas companies) to JSC Chornomornaftogaz.

According to resolution No. 429-r of May 28, 2022, the text of which was published on the government portal, the assets are transferred in order to eliminate the risk of failure and/or interruption of their operation and to prevent emergencies until the completion of the implementation of procedural measures.

At the same time, the list of such assets is not attached to the order.

As reported, at the end of May, at the request of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the investigating judge of the Kyiv Pechersky Court transferred the seized private corporate rights to 26 regional and city gas distribution system operators to the management of ARMA.

The bureau recalled that in June last year they exposed a large-scale scheme for the free transfer of gas distribution systems by the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine for use by private operators. Many years of illegal activity caused damage to the state in the amount of UAH 1.488 billion.

The pictures illustrating the message about the transfer of the regional and city gas companies to ARMA show the premises of Cherkasygaz and the enterprises of Regional Gas Company (RGC) of businessman Dmytro Firtash, namely Khmelnytskgaz, Chernihivgaz, Vinnytsiagaz, Dnipropetrovskgaz, Kyivoblgaz, Tysmenytsiagaz.

The head of the board of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy, Yuriy Vitrenko, in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine confirmed the group's readiness to take over the management of the regional gas companies from ARMA.