A Russian arbitration court has ordered Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Plant (ChMK), part of Russian mining and steelmaking group Mechel, to pay RUB 2.2 billion ($26.3 million) to gas supplier Novatek-Chelyabinsk following a lawsuit filed in June this year, according to local media reports.
The Arbitration Court of the Chelyabinsk Region fully upheld the supplier's claims on October 7. The lawsuit was filed on June 29, while Mechel participated in the proceedings as a third party.
The case was heard behind closed doors, and the specific nature and breakdown of the RUB 2.2 billion claim have not been disclosed.
Previous disputes over gas payments ended in settlements
This is not the first financial dispute between ChMK and Novatek-Chelyabinsk. In April 2025, the gas supplier filed two lawsuits against the steelmaker over unpaid gas supplies, seeking a combined amount exceeding RUB 1.8 billion ($21.5 million).
The court initially ruled in favor of Novatek-Chelyabinsk in both cases. However, the parties subsequently reached settlement agreements.
ChMK also faced a separate claim
ChMK has also been involved in a separate legal dispute with Russian industrial equipment supplier Cryogenmash. In 2025, a Moscow arbitration court upheld Cryogenmash's claim for approximately RUB 882 million ($10.5 million) relating to contracts for the construction of a cryogenic air separation unit.
According to the claimant, payment difficulties began in mid-2024, while ChMK stopped financing the project in early 2025.
