Objections swirl over the legal maneuver used to bypass the Board and fire an executive who was one year into a four-year contract.

“This violates the charter of Naftogaz and violates our obligations, in particular, to the IMF to ensure the independence of Naftogaz,” said Inna Sovsun, a Rada Energy Committee member from the pro-Western Holos party, on the party’s website. A major demand of Ukraine’s pro-Western reformers is the installation of independent boards to control state companies.