Gazprom challenges UAH 86 bln penalty of Ukraine anti-monopoly body

Russian natural gas monopoly Gazprom has filed a lawsuit challenging in a Kyiv court a resolution issued by Ukraine’s Anti-Monopoly Committee to penalize the firm UAH 85.97 bln for the abuse of its monopoly power, the Interfax-Ukraine news ageny reported on April 13. The committee ruled in January that Gazprom was abusing its status as the only buyer of gas transit services from Ukrainian production and transit monopoly Naftogaz, thereby preventing mutually beneficial agreements on gas transit.

Alexander Paraschiy: Thus far, it’s hard to predict the potential of Gazprom’s lawsuit. This legal fight will certainly last long, with both sides likely to exhaust their appeals in Ukrainian courts, and possibly internationally too.