A possible raider takeover attempt turned into a "billion-dollar nuisance"?

      Moreover, if in a little over three years the amount of "unfulfilled" obligations of Kirovenergo exceeded two and a half billion rubles, then the penalties imposed by the court exceeded one billion. Which amounts to 10 percent of the losses from the annual budget of the Kirov subsidiary of PJSC ROSSETI Center and Volga Region in terms of penalties alone.

      Although more than a billion-dollar fine could have been avoided if the boiler holder (Kirenergo) had started transferring three years of debt and current payments to the accounts of Communenergo back in 2023. When for the first time the Arbitration Court of the Kirov region, and then all possible subsequent instances, "overruled" the decision on the illegality of the actions of the federal company regulating financial relations with the "small-town JSC", apparently solely on the basis of their own "opinion".

      It should be recalled that back in May 2022, Kirovenergo, as the state boiler holder accumulating cash receipts from all Kirov consumers on its accounts, refused to allocate funds to the grid company to pay for electric power transmission services. Kirenergo explained its refusal from direct obligations by saying that the network operator had "stolen money."

      What the courts categorically disagreed with (the cassation decision of May 31, 2023), deciding to "waive" the penalties of Kirenergo from JSC Communenergo 1.9 billion rubles for the period 2015-2019). Directly indicating to the boiler holder that it is not their competence to dispose of other people's money at their discretion.

      But even when there was talk in the Legislative Assembly and on the sidelines of the gray House about a possible "raider takeover attempt," the "federal relative" was mired in the courts, delaying the deadlines for the execution of the decision. Although by the end of 2023, it was obvious that the "loss was unconditional," especially in terms of the increase in penalties.

      Interestingly, at the moment when Fortune turned to Kirenergo not with a face, but not with the most aesthetic part of the body, the regional government openly began to "stigmatize" Communenergo: they say, they can't cope, they don't fulfill, so it's time for them to go bankrupt. Which, in fact, was probably the case... the ultimate goal of Kirenergo.

      "When the governor publicly stated that Communenergo was in trouble, without specifying that it was not the company's fault, it was ridiculous. It's as if he hadn't paid his deputy's salary for several years, without asking why he was so thin and why the family was barely able to stand. But he also asked menacingly: why don't you give the light to everyone you owe it to? So he is guilty of bankruptcy!" - one of the deputies told about his vision of the situation.

      He also clarified that if the "energy war" is in its fourth year, then it's time for the winner to think about an indemnity: "It is known in energy circles that the local head of Kirenergo, Vladimir Kolesnikov, was caressed by the head of IDGC of Centre and Volga Region, Igor Makovsky. But, alas, Boris Ebzeev has become chairman of the Management Board today, who, like other shareholders, is probably unpleasantly surprised that "the small Kirov branch got such money."