Month: January 2025

Austria’s Minister for Climate and Energy, Leonore Gewessler, stated that Austria is no longer dependent on Russian gas, as the country has adequately prepared for Ukraine’s decision to suspend transit.

Gewessler noted that Ukraine had repeatedly announced its decision to suspend the transit of Russian gas through its territory. To ensure uninterrupted and unrestricted gas supplies, market participants turned to alternative sources, compensating for supply limitations and guaranteeing gas delivery.

“Ukraine has made it clear in advance that it will not renew the transit contract with the aggressor Russia. We have done our homework and were well-prepared for this scenario… Austria is no longer dependent on Russian gas — and that is good,” the minister stated.

Suspension of Russian gas transit via Ukraine

Today, January 1, Ukraine suspended the transit of gas from the terrorist state of Russia to European countries through its territory. The European Union (EU) was prepared for this scenario and can receive natural gas from other countries through alternative methods.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also reiterated that Ukraine is ready to transport gas to Europe, provided it is not of Russian origin.

For more on the potential consequences of the transit suspension for the EU, Ukraine, and Moldova, read RBC-Ukraine’s report.

The death toll from the Russian shelling of Kyiv on January 1 has increased. So far, 2 victims have been reported, according to the head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, Tymur Tkachenko.

According to him, the aftermath of the Russian strike on the capital has been underway since the morning.

“Unfortunately, we already have 2 killed. My condolences to the families and friends” stated Tkachenko.

The rescue operation in the Pecherskyi and Sviatoshynskyi districts continues.

Russian attack on Kyiv

On New Year’s Eve, Russian troops attacked Kyiv with drones. In particular, there were fires in the Pecherskyi district, for example, the roof of the National Bank building was on fire in Kyiv due to the attack by the Shahed.

One woman was reported to have been injured. Later, the number of victims in Kyiv gradually increased to 7 people, and a woman’s body was found under the rubble in Pecherskyi district. 2 pregnant women were among the victims.

Read all about the consequences of the Russian attack on Kyiv on January 1 in RBC-Ukraine’s report.

On January 1, 2025, gas exports through Soviet-era pipelines running through Ukraine were halted, marking the end of decades of Russian dominance in Europe’s energy markets, Reuters reports.

Despite nearly three years of war, gas supplies continued, but Ukraine cut off the transit on January 1 at 7:00 GMT.

However, this halt is not expected to impact consumer prices in the European Union, unlike in 2022, when reductions in Russian gas supplies led to a price surge, exacerbating the cost-of-living crisis and undermining the EU’s competitiveness.

The last remaining buyers of Russian gas in the EU via Ukraine, such as Slovakia and Austria, have arranged alternative supplies. Hungary will continue receiving Russian gas through the TurkStream, which runs via two pipelines under the Black Sea.

The break in gas supply also affected the Russian-occupied region of Transnistria in Moldova, which has cut off heating and hot water to households due to its dependency on the same gas transit routes.

The European Commission has stated that the EU had prepared for the cut-off.

“The European gas infrastructure is flexible enough to provide gas of non-Russian origin. It has been reinforced with significant new LNG (liquefied natural gas) import capacities since 2022,” Spokesperson for the European Commission said.

Ukraine, which decided not to renew the transit agreement, emphasized that Europe has already made the strategic decision to move away from Russian gas.

“We stopped the transit of Russian gas. This is a historic event. Russia is losing its markets; it will suffer financial losses,” Ukraine’s Energy Minister German Galushchenko stated.

Cost to both sides

Ukraine will lose around $800 million annually in transit fees, while Gazprom is set to lose about $5 billion in gas sales.

Russia and the former Soviet Union spent half a century building up a significant share of the European gas market, which at its peak was around 35%. Still, the war has all but destroyed Gazprom’s business in this area.

The Yamal-Europe pipeline, which runs through Belarus, was also closed, and in 2022, the Nord Stream route across the Baltic Sea to Germany was blown up.

In total, a record amount of gas was delivered to Europe via various routes in 2018 – 201 billion cubic meters. In 2023, Russia delivered around 15 billion cubic meters of gas via Ukraine, which is less than the 65 billion cubic meters when the last five-year contract came into force in 2020.

As reports indicated, Naftogaz’s five-year contract with Gazprom expired on January 1, 2025. Ukraine shut off the gas valve on January 1 at 7:00 GMT, depriving Moscow of approximately $5-7 billion in annual revenue.

As Ukraine’s Energy Minister German Galushchenko stated, “citizens will not feel this event at all because we will provide gas, and accordingly heat, to the homes of every Ukrainian.”

Ukrainian troops are destroying the Russian occupiers in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region. The fighting is taking place in the private sector of the city, according to North command.

“Russians are hiding in the private sector,” the military said.

Therefore, the tank crew of the 32nd Brigade arrived to help the infantry and buried the insidious plans of the Russian occupiers with accurate fire.

Situation in Pokrovsk sector

On December 31, the Russian occupants attacked the frontline in Ukraine almost 200 times. Most of the attacks took place in the Pokrovsk sector.

In particular, in this section of the frontline, the Armed Forces of Ukraine stopped 57 assaults and offensive Russian actions toward 16 settlements, including the city of Myrnohrad.

According to the Institute for War Studies, over the past day, Russians managed to advance near Pokrovsk, Siversk, Chasiv Yar, Kurakhove, and Kreminna.

Over the past 24 hours, from December 31 to January 1, Russian forces lost 1,250 soldiers, 13 armored combat vehicles, and 4 artillery systems, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports.

The total combat Russian losses from February 24, 2022, to January 1, 2024, are estimated to be:

• personnel – about 790,800 (+1,250) Russian troops were eliminated;
• tanks – 9,672 (+4);
• troop-carrying AFVs – 20,043 (+13);
• artillery systems – 21,532 (+4) ;
• MLRS – 1,256;
• anti-aircraft warfare systems – 1,032;
• aircraft – 369;
• helicopters – 329;
• UAV operational-tactical level – 21,131 (+50);
• cruise missiles – 3,003;
• warships/boats – 28;
• submarines – 1;
• vehicles and fuel tanks – 32,675 (+49);
• special equipment – 3,672 (+1).

Frontline situation and Russian shelling

According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukraine’s Defense Forces have succeeded near Kreminna in the Luhansk region and the Kursk region. However, the Russians continue to press on five fronts.

On the night of December 31, the Ukrainian military shot down a Russian helicopter for the first time in history using a Magura V5 naval strike drone.

Head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, called the operation historic.

On the morning of January 1, explosions sounded in Kyiv. Ukraine’s air defense forces shot down Russian Shahed kamikaze drones.