Ukraine adds Belgian gas company Fluxys to list of war sponsors

According to Ukrinform, the NACP reported this.

"The Belgian independent gas system operator Fluxys provides storage and transshipment facilities at its terminal in Zeebrugge to Russian Yamal LNG. The majority share of Yamal LNG belongs to the Russian gas company Novatek, which is directly involved in financing military aggression and war crimes in Ukraine," the statement said.

A detailed analysis conducted by the International Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) in 2022 showed that Fluxys and its shareholders profited by facilitating Russian LNG exports to the markets of Asia, South America, and the Middle East, especially in the winter months of 2021-2022, which exacerbated the European energy crisis and increased profits for Novatek.

"Novatek is owned by Russian oligarchs Leonid Mikhelson and Gennady Timchenko. It is the main supplier of Russian LNG to international markets. Mikhelson and Timchenko are members of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle and, with the help of his regime, have seized international companies' stakes in Russian oil and gas projects. Novatek is the largest private natural gas producer in Russia", the NACP emphasized.

In July 2014, the company was added to the sanctions lists of the United States and Canada. In 2016, the U.S. imposed sanctions on several Novatek subsidiaries. On November 2, 2023, the United States imposed sanctions against the Arctic LNG 2 project, which was intended to double Novatek's export capacity.

"At least a third of the Russian budget goes to the war. Fluxys services help Russia to replenish it by €800 million this year. For example, this includes eight Su-35 fighter jets. Or 800 Kalibr missiles that could be used to attack Ukraine's energy infrastructure in winter and kill Ukrainians. These are well-known facts. Fluxys is well aware of this, but continues to sponsor Russia's war," NACP Chairman Oleksandr Novikov said.

The main shareholders of Fluxys are Belgian municipalities (77.41%) and the Belgian federal government (3.44%). Both parties claim to have high respect for international humanitarian law, which prohibits intentional attacks on civilians or critical civilian infrastructure. The NACP stressed that these commitments contradict the actual continuation of cooperation with Novatek.

"While many companies stopped any interaction with Russia after February 24, 2022, Fluxys continued to cooperate with Yamal LNG and Novatek throughout 2022 and into 2013. According to international experts, Russia expects to receive up to €800 million in export tax revenues from the transshipment of LNG in Zeebrugge in 2023. Only 7% of this gas goes to EU markets. Fluxys receives €50 million a year for this service under a long-term contract signed in 2015, a year after Russia annexed Crimea and started a war in eastern Ukraine," the NACP emphasized.

As Ukrinform reported, the NACP added German building materials manufacturer Knauf to the list of international sponsors of the war.

Photo: ©BELGA