A timeline of events in Ukraine’s gas dealings dating to 2004.
July 24, 2004 Former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, agree on using RosUkrEnergo as intermediary in the gas trade, replacing Eural Trans Gas, a Hungarian-based intermediary used between 2002-2004.
July 29, 2004 Ukraine’s state-run oil and gas monopoly Naftogaz Ukraine signs contracts with RosUkrEnergo for the import and transit of gas from Central Asia to Ukraine and Europe.
Jan. 23, 2005 Viktor Yushchenko becomes Ukraine’s third president after the Orange Revolution overturned rigged 2004 presidential elections in favor of Viktor Yanukovych.
Sept. 8, 2005 Yushchenko sacks Yulia Tymoshenko as prime minister and dismisses her government. Tymoshenko and her ally, former Security Service of Ukraine chief Oleksandr Turchynov, had accused Yushchenko of protecting RosUkrEnergo’s status as an intermediary for gas deals with Russia.
Jan.1, 2006 Russia’s state-controlled oil and gas monopoly, Gazprom, cuts off gas supplies to Ukraine.
Jan. 4, 2006 Gas supplies are restored after Yushchenko’s administration increases RosUkrEngro’s role in supplying Ukraine with gas.
June 21, 2007 Ukrainian billionaire Dmytro Firtash, co-owner of RosUkrEnergo along with Russia’s Gazprom, consolidates his assets into a new holding company called Group DF.
Sept. 30, 2007 Snap parliamentary elections are held giving Yulia Tymoshenko’s bloc the opportunity to form a shaky majority coalition with some members of Yushchenko’s Our Ukraine political grouping.
Dec. 18, 2007 Yulia Tymoshenko is re-appointed as prime minister. She vows to eliminate gas trading middelmen.
Dec. 24, 2007 Valeriy Khoroshkovsky appointed head of Customs Service.
Nov. 1, 2008 World financial crisis hits Ukraine, causing a sharp devaluation of the hyrvnia and leading the central bank to refinance many of the country’s top banks.
Dec. 11, 2008 Group DF issues a press release confirming its intention to buy controlling stake in one of the country’s largest troubled banks, Nadra Bank, which receives billions of hryvnia in refinancing from the central bank.
Dec. 8, 2008 Firtash allegedly meets with U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor. He allegedly criticizes Tymoshenko, describes Yushchenko as a friend and says he is trying to forge an alliance between Yushchenko and Viktor Yanukovych.
Jan. 1, 2009 Russia’s Gazprom cuts off gas shipments to Ukraine (and Europe) after failing to renegotiate a new, higher price for gas supplies to Ukraine.
Jan. 6. 2009 Slovakia declares a state of emergency because of gas cutoffs. Other central European countries, such as Bulgaria and Serbia, complain.
Jan. 8, 2009 Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says top Ukrainian officials are fighting to keep intermediaries in gas trade.
Jan. 19, 2009 Tymoshenko and Putin sign new gas accord in Moscow providing for the elimination of RosUkrEnergo as an intermediary.
Jan. 20, 2009 Gazprom transfers $1.7 billion to Naftogaz as an advance payment for the transiting natural gas to Europe.
Jan. 20, 2009 Naftogaz buys 11 billion cubic meters of gas previous controlled by RosUkrEnergo from Gazprom for $1.7 billion ($153 per thousand cubic meters).
Jan. 28, 2009 Government sacks Valeriy Khoroshkovsky as Customs Service head after he refuses to custom clear the gas transfer.
Jan. 28, 2009 Yushchenko appoints Khoroshkovsky as deputy SBU chief.
Jan. 28, 2009 Government appoints Anatoliy Makarenko Customs Service chief.
Jan. 30, 2009 Khoroshkovsky requests documentation from Naftogaz about disputed gas.
Feb. 5, 2009 Tymoshenko orders transfer of 11 billion cubic meters of gas to Naftogaz citing agreement between Naftogaz and Gazprom.
March 2, 2009 SBU arrests Taras Shepitko, deputy head of energy department of Ukraine’s Customs Service.
March 4, 2009 SBU “Alpha” special forces unit raids Naftogaz central offices in Kyiv.
March 5, 2009 SBU “Alpha” special forces unit raids Ukrtransgaz officies in Kyiv.
March 24, 2009 Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce hears RosUkrEnergo’s case against Naftogaz.
Feb. 25, 2010 Viktor Yanukovych becomes president after defeating Tymoshenko in a Feb. 7 an election.
June 8, 2010 The Swedish Arbitration Tribunal rules Naftogaz must return 11 billion cubic meters to RosUkrenergo, plus 1 billion cubic meters in penalties. In its plea to the court, Ukraine admitted that the gas belonged to RosUkrEnergo.
June 23, 2010 Former Customs chief Anatoliy Makarenko is arrested.
July 9, 2010 Former Deputy Naftogaz chief Ihor Didenko is arrested by SBU “Alpha” special forces in Kyiv.
July 21, 2010 SBU re-arrests Taras Shepitko, deputy head of the energy department of Ukraine’s Custom’s Service.
Nov. 24, 2010 Ukraine’s High administrative court upholds ruling by Swedish Arbitration Tribunal.
Dec. 15, 2010 Criminal case opened against former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
Jan. 26, 2011 Ukrainian government promises to return 12 billion cubic meters of natural gas to RosUkrEnergo during 2011.
