Gas Wars and Energy Blackmail (2006–2009)
The use of the state monopoly Gazprom as a political weapon against Kyiv's independent course. Gas supplies were cut off at the height of winter: "at 10.00am Moscow time on January 1, 2006, Gazprom cut off gas supplies to Ukraine"[1], and three years later "Russian exports to Ukraine were cut off on 1 January. Exports to 16 EU member states and Moldova were drastically reduced on 6 January and cut completely from 7 January"[2]. Supplies ran through opaque intermediaries (RosUkrEnergo), whose use "was long criticized in European government circles and by corporate governance bodies"[2], while RUE's co-owner Dmytro Firtash admitted to the US ambassador that "he needed Mogilevich's approval to get into business in the first place"[3].
Actors
| ID | Name | Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| G0011 | Russian Federation | 2 |
Instruments Applied
| ID | Name | Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| S0009 | Diplomacy | 1 |
| S0017 | Secret Police and Security Services | 1 |
Procedures Carried Out
Direct energy blackmail and the cut-off of gas supplies at the height of winter: on January 1, 2006 - "at 10.00am Moscow time on January 1, 2006, Gazprom cut off gas supplies to Ukraine"[1]; on January 1, 2009 - "Russian exports to Ukraine were cut off on 1 January," after which exports to the EU were "drastically reduced on 6 January and cut completely from 7 January," and in the worst-affected Balkan countries a humanitarian emergency ensued, with "parts of the populations unable to heat their homes"[2].
The imposition of corrupt gas-supply schemes through intermediary companies: Moscow "used a series of intermediary trading companies (Itera from 1998, Eural Trans Gas from 2003, Rosukrenergo (RUE) from 2005) to transport, and sometimes to supply, the gas to Ukraine," a practice that "was long criticized in European government circles and by corporate governance bodies (where there was concern about their opacity)"[2]. RUE's co-owner Dmytro Firtash told the US ambassador in December 2008 outright that "He acknowledged ties to Russian organized crime figure Seymon Mogilevich, stating he needed Mogilevich's approval to get into business in the first place"[3].