Naftogaz reshuffling management at Kharkivmiskgaz, RGC calls it another illegal takeover

On Friday, representatives of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy changed management at JSC Kharkivmiskgaz under the pretext of conducting a search with the help of security forces, the RGC group has reported.

"It's the third illegal takeover of a critical infrastructure enterprise since the beginning of the year in Ukraine and the second in Kharkiv region," the group said in the report. In January 2023, Naftogaz changed management at Kharkivgaz and Dniprogaz.

RGC believes that the management reshuffling in Kharkivmiskgaz is illegitimate since the company's manager, represented by Chornomornaftogaz, did not convene or hold a meeting of shareholders but reshuffled the supervisory board and the board of directors in it by a sole decision.

"The current shareholders of Kharkivmiskgaz have not changed. They selected the supervisory board at the meeting of shareholders back in 2021 under the law on joint stock companies, and the only way to change the supervisory board legally is in the same way – that is, at a meeting of shareholders," RGC said.

According to the group, Vadym Danielyan, who does not have the necessary experience in the industry and who previously worked as deputy head at Luhansk and Kharkiv regional state administrations, was appointed as the new head of the company's board.

"It's ignoring the interests of gas consumers and increasing the risks of gas supply security," RGC said.

"The gradual seizure of the gas distribution market by NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy through its own subsidiaries under the Gazmerezhi brand neutralizes all the gas market reforms being implemented over the past seven years. If Naftogaz succeeds in realizing its intentions, the Ukrainian gas market will be closed to other players, which will become an insurmountable obstacle to its liberalization and the development of competition," the group said.

Earlier, Naftogaz, in response to RGC's accusations of the illegal takeover of Kharkivgaz and Dniprogaz, by changing management, stated that this was happening as part of their integration into the structure of the Naftogaz group.

Source: www.en.interfax.com.ua