Ukrzaliznytsia received more than UAH 68 million in compensation for losses caused to it as a result of fraud for UAH 206 million when purchasing gas in 2016-2020, Ukrzaliznytsia reported on Facebook on Tuesday.

"National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine [National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine] and SAPO [Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office], during joint activities with the office of the director for economic and information security of JSC Ukrzaliznytsia, achieved compensation for losses of more than UAH 68 million to the company as part of an investigation into fraud in the purchase of gas for the needs of the company," Ukrzaliznytsia said.

Funds from Ukrzaliznytsia were transferred from August 2023 to January 2024 by a private company that "recognized the unacceptability of the criminal actions committed by its own management and agreed to partially compensate for the damage caused." The name of the company has not been disclosed.

Another UAH 2 million were reimbursed by one of the suspects in the case, and another suspect transferred UAH 3 million to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which is provided for by plea agreements concluded between them and the SAPO prosecutor.

Previously, the company reported that in June 2023, thanks to joint work with SAPO, fraud for UAH 206 million when purchasing gas for its needs in 2016-2020 was exposed. In this case, a private company has already transferred UAH 20 million to Ukrzaliznytsia as part of compensation for losses caused, undertaking to compensate a total of UAH 68.16 million.

From December 2016 to January 2020, officials of the Production Support Center branch of Ukrzaliznytsia, in collusion with representatives of gas companies, organized the purchase of gas bypassing tender procedures. They agreed on an additional markup for gas supplies, which at different periods ranged from UAH 200 to UAH 1,000 per 1,000 cubic meters. The unlawful benefit received was distributed among a wide range of participants in the criminal conspiracy. This was established during investigative actions carried out in June-October 2023.

In 2023, Ukrzaliznytsia entered into a second agreement with PJSC Ukrnafta for the purchase of 45 million cubic meters of gas from underground storage facilities at competitive summer prices. In March-September of the same year, Ukrzaliznytsia purchased 13.7 million cubic meters of gas from Ukrnafta.

Savings compared to prices on the Ukrainian Energy Exchange on this purchase alone reached UAH 40 million, and compared to previous offers from intermediary suppliers – UAH 250 million.

In addition, it was reported that Ukrzaliznytsia is fully supplied with gas for the autumn-winter season of 2023-2024.