Although the French energy giant denies the allegations, Total Energies is now divesting itself of a controversial Russian gas field. This is said to be the source of the kerosene used by Russian bombers to fly to Ukraine.
The French energy company Total Energies has announced the sale of shares in a gas field in Russia, which according to a media report is used to produce fuel for Russian fighter jets. The company said it had signed a contract with its Russian partner company Nowatek. The provide for a sale of the shares – on conditions that made it possible for Total Energies to “get back the investments in the field”.
Nowatek confirmed that it now holds 100 percent of the gas field operating company. Total Energies (formerly Total) previously owned 49 percent of Terneftegaz, which produces natural gas from the Termokarstovoye field in Siberia. Total Energies also has a stake in Nowatek itself: it continues to hold 19.4 percent of the shares.
The newspaper “Le Monde” reported on Wednesday, citing data from the non-governmental organization (NGO) Global Witness, that gas condensate had been delivered from Termokarstvoye to a refinery near the Siberian city of Omsk. For the first time since 2017, “hundreds of fuel deliveries” were made from there to air bases near the Ukrainian border in the past few months and up until at least July. Citing figures from the financial data service provider Refinitiv, “Le Monde” wrote that there were a total of 42,700 tons of aviation kerosene for the bases in Morosovsk and Voronezh, enough for 3,400 tank fillings for Sukhoi Su-34 fighter jets.
Total Energies had denied the research and threatened legal action because of the article, which contained “mistakes, abbreviations and untruths”. “No, Total Energies does not produce kerosene for the Russian army,” Total Energies said on Twitter after the report was published.
Total Energies initially stated that it had no control over the sales of its Russian partner company Nowatek. Total Energies then said on Friday that Nowatek had denied that the gas condensate produced by the company was processed into kerosene for Russian military jets. Instead, this will be processed in a refinery that only manufactures products for foreign markets, according to a message from Nowatek forwarded by Total Energies.
Total Energies is the only major Western energy company that continues to do business in Russia. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter: “Get out of Russia with Total Energies!” His country is grateful to President Emmanuel Macron and the French people for their support for Ukraine. It is therefore “a shame for France that French companies are helping to murder Ukrainians and destroy our cities”.
