Ukraine's Naftogaz Executive Officer Says Will Be Fired In 2 Months Due To Downsizing

Executive Officer of Naftogaz Group Yuriy Vitrenko said on Wednesday that he had been notified of upcoming dismissal from Ukraine's national oil company in two months due to the reduction of his position

KIEV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th May, 2020) Executive Officer of Naftogaz Group Yuriy Vitrenko said on Wednesday that he had been notified of upcoming dismissal from Ukraine's national oil company in two months due to the reduction of his position.

"I was just formally informed that my position is being cut, and this means that in two months I will be fired from Naftogaz," Vitrenko said on Facebook.

He called it "symbolic" that he was fired at a time when the team that he managed in Naftogaz achieved record profits in 2019 while the rest of the company was suffering losses.

According to Vitrenko, his dismissal has politically-motivated reasons behind it.

"The most logical explanation for why I am being fired is that the fight against Russian aggression is no longer a priority, in terms of effectively protecting Ukraine's interests in relations with [Russia's state oil company] Gazprom.

The fight against corruption is also no longer a priority, in particular, with regard to its causes in the gas sector. It means that there are other priorities, which, unfortunately, have become a barrier to rapprochement with Europe, to changing domestic rules into European ones, and to forcing Russia to abide by civilized rules when dealing with Ukraine," Vitrenko said.

Relations between Moscow and Kiev deteriorated in 2014. It was the year when Crimea reunited with Russia and the crisis in eastern Ukraine began after the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, known together as Donbas, proclaimed independence from Kiev. Ukraine has alleged Russia of interference in its domestic affairs and involvement in the Donbas conflict. Moscow has consistently refuted the accusations.