The occupiers seize some Khersonoblenergo facilities

Oleksii Pavlysh, Economichna Pravda  — WEDNESDAY, 29 JUNE 2022, 16:29

The occupiers and collaborators have seized some facilities of Khersonoblenergo that ensured the supply and distribution of electricity.

This is according to the official statement of JSC Khersonoblenergo [Kherson region’s utility provider – ed.].

"On 27 June 2022, representatives of the so-called "Kherson Civil and Military Administration", with the support of the FSB of the Russian Federation and the participation of the head of the overhead and cable electrical networks service of JSC Khersonoblenergo, seized some facilities belonging to JSC Khersonoblenergo that ensured the supply and distribution of electricity to consumers of Kherson Oblast.

During the seizure of the enterprise by the occupiers, the so-called new head of the enterprise, Y.E. Zhakhanovych, was introduced; but he has nothing to do with the executive bodies of JSC Khersonoblenergo.

The only legal head of the company is I.M. Safronov, the Chairman of the Board," the statement says.

It is noted that since 27 June, Khersonoblenergo has partially lost control over the maintenance of electrical networks in Kherson Oblast.

"The occupation authorities are putting pressure on the company's employees, forcing them to write applications for cooperation and more.

The management of Khersonoblenergo has appealed to the law enforcement agencies with a request to provide a legal assessment and prosecute those who took part in the attempt to seize the company," the company added.

Khersonoblenergo emphasised that electricity to the territory of Kherson region is currently supplied from the controlled territory of Ukraine, exclusively by Ukrainian suppliers.

Payment for the delivered product is made only in the national currency of Ukraine, the hryvnia, and all other possible bills are fraudulent, the company noted.

Background:

The State Bureau of Investigations and the Office of the Prosecutor General failed to seize the energy assets of the VS Energy group associated with Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Alexander Babakov and his partners.

Roman Tulin, the prosecutor of the Office of the Prosecutor General requested that the shareholdings in Khersonoblenergo, Kirovohradoblenergo, Zhytomyroblenergo, Rivneoblenergo and Chernivtsioblenergo be recognised as material evidence in criminal proceedings and that they be seized.

The investigation told the court that the representatives of VS Energy have illegally consolidated part of the energy infrastructure of Ukraine and for a long time have been causing damage to Ukraine, undermining its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The court records state that VS Energy is connected with the Russian criminal organisation Luzhniki.

According to the investigation, it is headed by former president of FC CSKA Evgeniy Giner, deputy chairman of the State Duma Alexander Babakov, and Mikhail Voevodin, who, according to Interpol, has the status of a so-called thief in law and is known by the nickname Misha Luzhnetsky.

However, the courts of both authorities refused to seize the corporate rights of the oblenergos [regional energy production companies – ed.].

Economiсhna Pravda