Russian gas deliveries to Europe via Ukraine have halted

Ukraine has terminated the gas transit route following the expiration of a 2019 agreement in the early hours of New Year’s Day. This development marks a significant step in Europe’s efforts to reduce its dependence on Russian gas over the past few years. It has led to immediate power outages affecting hundreds of thousands of people in a separatist region of Moldova.

In a statement, Russia’s Gazprom announced that it ceased gas deliveries through Ukraine at 8 a.m. Moscow time (5 a.m. GMT) on Wednesday. Ukraine’s Energy Minister, German Galushchenko, described the action as “historic,” while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy referred to it on social media as “one of Moscow’s biggest defeats.”

Zelenskyy wrote: “When [Vladimir] Putin was given power in Russia more than 25 years ago, the annual gas pumping through Ukraine to Europe was 130+ billion cubic metres. Today, the transit of Russian gas is 0.”

The decision sparked strong criticism from Slovakia’s Prime Minister, Robert Fico, who had opposed it in recent months. He took to Facebook, stating, “Halting gas transit via Ukraine will have a drastic impact on us all in the EU but not on the Russian Federation.”

In contrast, other nations welcomed the move as a further reduction in reliance on Russian energy. Poland’s Foreign Minister, Radosław Sikorski, hailed the development as “a new victory” for Europe.

The immediate consequence of this action was felt in the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria, where residents experienced a loss of heating and hot water on Wednesday morning.

Moldova is enduring some of the most severe impacts among European nations due to the cessation of gas transit through Ukraine. In December, the country declared a state of emergency, concerned that the gas cutoff would jeopardize its primary electricity source—a gas-powered power plant in Transnistria.

Last year, Moldova narrowly approved a referendum on joining the EU, amid accusations that Russia interfered in its electoral processes. Gazprom had threatened to discontinue gas supplies to Moldova even if an agreement was reached to maintain transit through Ukraine, citing disputes over unpaid bills. On Wednesday, the Moldovan government accused Moscow of “blackmail.”

However, the majority of Moldova’s 2.5 million residents are able to offset the loss of Russian gas by utilizing reserves and importing gas from Romania. In contrast, Transnistria, the pro-Russian breakaway region home to approximately 450,000 people, is expected to suffer the most significant effects.

Daniel Vodă, a spokesperson for the Moldovan government, stated on Wednesday that central authorities are “seeking alternative solutions to provide Transnistria residents with heat and energy.”