RIVNE, May 28 – Around 40% of the employees of Rivneazot, or 2,000 people, may lose their jobs due to what critics say is the political pressure by the government and Naftogaz Ukrayiny via the cutoff of natural gas deliveries to the plant, a source in Rivne city council said.

He said that Rivneazot does not recognize claims of Naftogaz Ukrayiny concerning its debts for natural gas and assesses the forced restrictions in gas supplies as a political pressure of Yulia Tymoshenko's government on the plant and its owner.