Kyiv has finally turned off Russia’s gas supply to Europe, ending a source of income that helped pay for Moscow’s war against Ukraine. The decades-old deal, which allowed the transit of natural gas produced by Russian energy giant Gazprom through Ukraine, ended at midnight on December 31, shutting down Russia’s last major gas corridor to Europe.

Russia continues to suffer military defeats in the strategically vital Black Sea, one of Moscow's most crucial avenues for political and economic influence into the Mediterranean and beyond. Newsweek has contacted the Russian Ministry of Defense for comment.

Ukraine, which had allowed Russian oil and gas to cross its territory to serve Europe while fighting Moscow’s invasion since 2022, refused to renew the deal.

Even while at war, Ukraine piped Russian gas to Europe. Moscow earned an estimated $5 billion in 2024, while Ukraine raked in up to $1 billion in fees.

Russian-owned gas giant Gazprom announced in December it would halt gas supplies to Moldova over a dispute over an alleged $709 million debt for past supplies.

The Russian gas company Gazprom on Saturday said it will no longer supply natural gas to Moldova in the new year, blaming the country's alleged debts. Gazprom said the country's gas company Moldovagaz "regularly fails to fulfil its payment obligations under the existing contract,

Gazprom said Moldovagaz “regularly fails to fulfill its payment obligations under the existing contract, which is a significant breach of its terms.”View on euronews

Moldovans are bracing for a difficult winter ahead as a looming energy shortage could leave them without enough energy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram: "When Putin was handed power in Russia over 25 years ago, the annual gas pumping through Ukraine to Europe stood at over 130 billion cubic meters. Today, the transit of Russian gas is 0. This is one of Moscow's biggest defeats."

Ukraine hailed the end of the gas transit deal amid Russia's invasion. But Russia said European living standards will suffer.

Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, as well as Moldova, are reliant on the steady flow of energy through Ukraine. Now that that is no longer possible, the only route remaining into Europe from Russia is via the TurkStream pipeline and the BlueSteam pipeline, under the Black Sea.