KIEV, January 9. /TASS/. Naftogaz of Ukraine filed a new claim in the amount of $12 bln against Russian gas holding Gazprom due to a potential impairment of the Ukrainian gas transport system (GTS), chief executive of Naftogaz Andrei Kobolev said on Wednesday in an interview with Ukraine’s Channel 5.
"Naftogaz filed a new claim amounting to $12 bln against Gazprom. The main base of this claim is impairment of our GTS because Gazprom will build bypassing flows and will not honor its obligations to Naftogaz as to the contract holder," the top manager said.
This will provide an opportunity for Ukraine to compensate losses from bypassing transit of Russian gas, Kobolev noted.
Naftogaz is ready to withdraw a lawsuit against Gazprom from the Stockholm Arbitration in the gas transit tariff reconsideration case if the Russian side provides guarantees of compensation payment in the new long-term transit contract, he said earlier today.
Two contracts are currently in effect between Gazprom and Naftogaz, on gas supplies to Ukraine and its transit to Europe. Both contracts will expire at the turn of this year.