Ukraine has recently lost about 17,000 gas distribution networks that have groundlessly ended up in private ownership, National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Secretary Oleksiy Danilov said.

"Unfortunately, we must say that recently, in some amazing way, the government has lost 16,920 kilometers of networks, which have passed into private ownership. We see no reason today not to deal with this issue and intend to find out how this happened," he said at a briefing on the results of the NSDC meeting in Kramatorsk on Friday, July 30.

At the same time, he said the gas distribution market segment is distinguished by the monopoly position of one group of companies owned by businessman Dmytro Firtash, due to which the NSDC will instruct the Cabinet of Ministers to check their activities.

"One of the companies owns 70% of regional gas companies. This directly concerns Mr. Firtash, against whom personal sanctions have been imposed. We will also deal with this issue. By the decision of the NSDC, we will instruct the Cabinet of Ministers to check all these things in order to bring them into line with the current legislation. We will not allow someone as a state to blackmail us and distort bills," Danilov said.