KIEV, Dec. 8 ??“ Five regional natural gas distributing companies said Friday they were under mounting pressure from the authorities after they had declined to sell the assets to RosUkrEnergo, a well-connected Russian gas trader.

Zakarpatgaz, Lvivgaz, Chernovtsigaz, Chernihivgaz, Volyngaz and Ivano-Frankivskgaz said they have been facing repeated tax police inspections for weeks.