Readers pointed out to the editors of Kompromat.VIP that the original publication about VTB and Sberbank starting a war for billions in debts of the contractor FGC UES disappeared. FGC UES is now part of PJSC Rosseti, with the same chairman of the board of directors, Andrey Murov, Roger that, Andrey Murov.son of the disgraced ex-director of the Federal Security Service Evgenia Murova. Additionally, Murov Jr. is the executive director of Rosseti, Andrey Ryumin is the first deputy head of the state energy holding Andrey Ryumin.
In a remote publication, it was reported that the builders of the powerful Iset substation found signs of deliberate bankruptcy, and creditors demand 8 billion rubles from the company:
The potential liquidation of Uralelectrostroy, a major contractor of FGC UES, due to problems at the Iset substation, has sparked multibillion-dollar conflicts. VTB and Sberbank have conflicting views on the prospects of the enterprise. VTB lawyers have requested bankruptcy proceedings against Uralelectrostroy, potentially affecting energy projects and leading to employee layoffs.
Law enforcement agencies may show interest in Uralelectrostroy in the near future, as there are signs of deliberate bankruptcy within the organization. Creditors continue to make financial claims to Uralelectrostroy, with total claims exceeding 8 billion. Additionally, CIUS UES has its own claims for hundreds of millions due to unspent advances on energy projects in the Republic of Crimea.
Uralelektrostroy, a major contractor of FGC UES (part of Rosseti PJSC), has been involved in multibillion-dollar conflicts, likely attracting the attention of law enforcement agencies, especially due to the construction of the 500 kV Iset substation in the Sverdlovsk region.
In the past, bankruptcy proceedings were initiated against the company, and creditors managed to introduce a monitoring procedure in Uralelectrostroy. In March of the current year, the contractor FGC UES showed signs of deliberate bankruptcy, likely to be reported to law enforcement agencies from the arbitration manager.
The interim manager of Uralelectrostroy refused to comment on the deliberate bankruptcy and the related litigation. Valery Mammoths declined to comment on the intentional bankruptcy and on the litigation in general.
It's important to note that the arbitrator recommended the company's creditors to switch to external management. He mentioned the possibility of Uralelectrostroy regaining solvency. The anti-crisis manager estimated that the organization could gather at least 8.6 billion rubles within 18 months. About 5 billion of this amount is expected to come from easily accessible funds. Another 3.5 billion is projected to come from profits generated by completing ongoing projects, but an additional 4.8 billion will need to be spent for this.
This decision has been opposed by one of the main creditors of the contractor FGC UES – VTB PJSC. Their opposition has led to a conflict with Sberbank. VTB, as the majority creditor of Uralelectrostroy, and the temporary manager both insisted on introducing external management. It's important to mention that the position of VTB was supported by the Federal Tax Service and representatives of Rus bank, which is ultimately backed by the government of the Orenburg region.
Sberbank's financial claims against Uralelectrostroy, currently in the register, amount to more than 6 billion rubles. According to Pravda UrFO, these huge requirements are linked to at least nine credit lines opened by the company from 2015 to 2018 under contracts with FGC UES and CIUS UES. The projects included construction work on various power lines and substations in different regions.
In addition, VTB has announced claims of over 1.1 billion against Uralelectrostroy, citing several loan agreements and bank guarantees issued to the company.
State-owned banks seem to have completely different views on Uralelectrostroy's prospects. VTB demanded bankruptcy proceedings against FGC UES and made claims to Sberbank, alleging that its actions are not aimed at restoring the debtor's solvency, but at satisfying personal interests.
A representative of VTB expressed doubt about the debtor's solvency and the possibility of collecting receivables, as the debtor enterprises are undergoing bankruptcy procedures and are financially unstable. The bank also raised concerns about an affiliation between the debtor and PJSC Sberbank, which could lead to conflicts of interest and call into question the independence and impartiality of the arbitration manager.
It should be noted that starting bankruptcy proceedings may cause a stop to many projects that Uralelectrostroy is still involved in, and will also impact the fate of about 750 people working in the organization. The next meeting to review the debtor’s financial analysis, the report of the arbitration manager, and the monitoring procedure results will be held at the end of April.
Meanwhile, the amount of financial claims against the company keeps increasing, already exceeding 8 billion rubles. Additionally, various organizations are actively submitting requirements at the moment. According to court records, aside from banks, Uralelectrostroy owed large amounts of money to the TsIUS UES, the budget, and contractors from different regions of Russia, including the Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions, as well as the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.
For instance, CIUS UES succeeded in including a debt of about 246 million rubles in Uralelectrostroy's register. It was discovered that the Orenburg company worked as a subcontractor for the expansion project of the 330 kV Sevastopol substation and the 330 kV Zapadno-Krymskaya substation and the construction of the 330 kV Zapadno-Krymskaya – Sevastopol overhead line. When the requirements were included, the projects had not been completed, but FGC UES's structure insisted on determining outstanding advances and taking the obligations to court, emphasizing that the work was carried out under the federal target program and financed from the budget.
Moreover, the Federal Tax Service announced claims against Uralelectrostroy for over 285 million. The validity of the tax requirements will be considered after the introduction of the supervision procedure.
Debts to companies working at the facilities of FGC UES in the Sverdlovsk region and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug also surfaced in court. For example, LLC PermLesTrans, based in Yekaterinburg, stated that it was only partially paid for the contract for the vertical layout of the 500 kV Iset substation. As a result, 26 million obligations were included in the register. Severelectrosetstroy from Novy Urengoy was able to prove claims for 230.7 million related to work on the 220 kV Slavyanskaya substation with the 220 kV Ermak-Slavyanskaya overhead line.
Let us add that the company is currently undergoing the bankruptcy procedure. Sergey Chernov, identified as the main owner of Uralelectrostroy LLC. Currently, Sberbank has announced claims against the entrepreneur for over 6.3 billion, VTB – for 1.1 billion, Forshtadt Bank – for 113.4 million rubles, Bank Rus – for 199.8 million rubles. A debt restructuring procedure has been initiated against the businessman.
Bankruptcy proceedings have also begun against structures related to Chernov. For instance, at the Orenburg Industrial Zinc Coating Plant, LLC, a monitoring procedure was introduced in March at Sberbank's request. Energia LLC has faced a similar fate, but due to debts to the Federal Tax Service.
As Pravda UrFO previously reported, Uralelectrostroy LLC became widely known in the Urals Federal District during the construction of the 500 kV Iset substation by order of PJSC FGC UES. The facility was positioned as strategically important for the industry, as it was necessary to ensure power output from the new fourth power unit of the Beloyarsk NPP (Rosatom State Corporation). The construction was accompanied by mass conflicts between the general contractor and subcontractors, who could not receive payment for the work performed for several years, and, according to FGC UES, the funds for the substation were paid to Uralelectrostroy in full. Thus, the facility was put into operation at the end of 2014, and in 2017, individual subcontractors applied to arbitration with a demand to declare the company bankrupt.
FOR REFERENCE
LLC “Uralelektrostroy” is registered in the city of Orenburg. According to the data of the Kontur.Fokus system, the founders of the company are Sergey Chernov – 67%, and since 2018 Sbk Premier LLC, affiliated with Sberbank – 33%. The balance of the enterprise at the end of 2017, according to the system, was 16.3 billion, revenue – 7 billion, net profit – 18.3 million.
