The dismissal of the head of Naftogaz, Andrei Kobolev, could complicate negotiations for Ukraine on providing the country with international financial assistance in the amount of $ 5.5 billion. Bloomberg reports.
Earlier, the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers removed Kobolev, who had been the executive director of Naftogaz since 2014, from his post, arguing the decision with the company’s loss of 19 billion hryvnia ($ 684 million) over the past year. From April 29, Yuriy Vitrenko will become the head of the company.
“The unexpected step risks upsetting Western donors, including the International Monetary Fund, who supported Kobolev,” Bloomberg said.
The agency also clarified that Kobolev was the “main architect” of the energy reform, which contributed to the “reduction of the budget deficit” in Ukraine, at the same time, he was criticized domestically for raising heating tariffs.