Naftogaz has been granted the right to recover $1.4 billion from Gazprom through a Kazakh court
20 May 22:54
Naftogaz of Ukraine has secured a significant legal victory in its case against Russia’s Gazprom. The Astana International Financial Centre Court in Kazakhstan has authorized the compulsory collection of approximately $1.4 billion from the Russian company in favor of Ukraine’s Naftogaz. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian", citing the company’s press service.
What the Astana court decided
The Astana International Financial Center Court recognized the arbitration award against Gazprom and authorized its enforcement within Kazakhstan. The amount in question is approximately $1.4 billion, which the Russian company must pay to Naftogaz.
Naftogaz emphasizes that this is the first public foreign court ruling recognizing and authorizing the enforcement of this arbitration award against Gazprom in a specific country.
Why this is important for Naftogaz
The Kazakhstani court’s decision opens the door for Naftogaz to initiate enforcement proceedings against Gazprom in Kazakhstan.
Serhiy Koretskyi, Chairman of the Board of Naftogaz of Ukraine, stated that this is another practical step in the process of recovering funds from the Russian company. According to him, Naftogaz continues to work on enforcing the arbitral award in various jurisdictions.
Naftogaz’s interests during the proceedings in Kazakhstan were represented by the law firms ADL Disputes and Wikborg Rein.
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Where did the $1.4 billion figure come from?
The dispute between Naftogaz and Gazprom concerns debt for services related to the organization of natural gas transportation through Ukrainian territory.
In March 2026, Naftogaz finally won the arbitration dispute against Gazprom for over $1.4 billion. The Swiss Federal Supreme Court rejected the Russian company’s appeal and upheld the arbitration award issued in June 2025.
According to the ruling, Gazprom must pay Naftogaz the debt, interest, and legal costs. Reuters reported that the Swiss court also ordered Gazprom to pay 200,000 Swiss francs in legal costs and to reimburse Naftogaz for an additional 250,000 francs in litigation expenses.
The essence of the dispute between Naftogaz and Gazprom
The basis for the dispute was a 2019 agreement on the transit of natural gas through Ukrainian territory. It was valid until January 1, 2025.
After the start of full-scale war and the occupation of parts of the territory in May 2022, transit through the “Sokhranivka” entry point became impossible. At the same time, Ukraine continued to provide transit through the “Sudzha” station.
According to the Ukrainian side, Gazprom refused to pay for the services in full, which constituted a breach of contract.
In September 2022, Naftogaz initiated arbitration in Switzerland in accordance with the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce. In June 2025, the arbitral tribunal found Gazprom liable for failing to fulfill its financial obligations.
Why Kazakhstan’s decision is significant
The arbitration award itself does not yet mean automatic receipt of funds. To collect funds from the debtor, the company must secure recognition and enforcement of such an award in countries where the debtor has assets or where enforcement mechanisms can be applied.
Therefore, the court’s decision in Kazakhstan is an important step. It allows Naftogaz to act not only on the basis of an arbitration victory but also to pursue the actual enforcement of the decision within a specific jurisdiction.
Naftogaz is also pursuing other legal proceedings against Russia
Naftogaz is simultaneously pursuing other legal proceedings against Russia and its affiliated entities. In particular, the company is seeking enforcement of rulings regarding compensation for losses caused by the loss of assets in Crimea following the illegal annexation of the peninsula in 2014.
Earlier, Reuters reported that a court in Paris allowed Naftogaz to initiate legal proceedings in France to recover compensation from Russia for Crimean assets. This concerns a separate arbitration award in the amount of approximately $5 billion.
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