RADA COMMISSION CONFIRMS UKRAINE WAS NOT STEALING RUSSIA GAS

6 February 2009, Interfax-Ukraine

Published by the Kyiv Post

The national JSC Naftogaz Ukrainy did not take Russian gas illegally during the Russian-Ukrainian gas row in January 2009, the Verkhovna Rada's temporary commission for inquiry into the state and functioning of Ukraine's gas transportation system and Ukrainian customers provision of with gas in 2008-2009 has said.
"We cannot confirm that there was stealing. The commission has found that there was no intentional theft of gas," head of the commission MP Inna Bohoslovska of the Regions Party said while presenting the commission's preliminary report in parliament on Friday.

Bohoslovska specified that on January 1-7, the national JSC Naftogaz Ukrainy temporarily used 52.2 million cubic meters of gas for its technical needs to guarantee the shipment of 1,435.9 million cubic meters of Russian gas to Europe, a volume that was eventually returned.

According to the commission's report, which has been posted on the Verkhovna Rada Web site, Naftogaz Ukrainy used another 140 million cubic meters of gas to return its gas transportation system to the previous mode of functioning after the full completion of Russian gas shipments, though Russian gas monopolist Gazprom classified this as an illegal use of transit gas.

As reported, during the gas crisis, Russia several times accused Ukraine of illegal using gas intended for European customers.

However, European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs reported in late January that the European monitoring missions have found no evidence of Ukraine's stealing gas.