On June 4, AO MOSENERGO met with the Moscow Fire Service (MFS) to discuss ways to pay off debt. As of June 3, 2002, MFS debt amounted to 2,700,000 rubles. The firemen promised to pay the debt before next month.

Earlier, AO MOSENERGO has repeatedly warned the MFS of a possible cut-off if the debt was not paid. As a result, AO MOSENERGO had to take radical measures. On June 5 and 6, AO MOSENERGO planned to partially restrict electricity supply to MFS fire stations and offices in three Moscow districts. As of the end of May their debts to AO MOSENERGO amounted approximately to 700,000 rubles. Some MFS divisions had accumulated debts from January 1999.

According to Vitaly Kuzmin, deputy general director of AO MOSENERGO for energy sales, the Power Company understood the scope of the responsibility involved in cutting power supply to the fire service. However, the status of the fire service in itself provides no justification for violating the terms of the energy supply agreement requiring timely payment for consumed power. If MFS does not pay debts before July 1, AO MOSENERGO will have to restrict power supply to MFS in accordance with the current legislation.