KIEV, Nov. 14 – A ban on the sale of natural to end consumers deprives private gas extracting company of a possibility of freely distributing the extracted resources on commercial conditions, which will lead to the reduction in investment in the gas production sector and the increase in dependability on external gas suppliers, the press service of Naftogazvydobuvannia told Interfax-Ukraine.

"Cabinet resolution No. 596 does not help settling the energy crisis and it is not in line with Ukraine's liabilities to the EU regarding the liberalization of the gas market. The purchase of gas for industrial enterprises only from national joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrayiny leads to the restoration of state monopoly, discrimination of rights of gas producing and trading companies and it will affect the development of the Ukrainian gas market," the company said.