Ukraine has halted the transportation of Russian natural gas through its gas transmission system. The decision was made in the interest of national security, reports the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine.

It is noted that the transit was stopped on January 1, 2025, at 07:00 Kyiv time. Ukraine has informed its international partners about this in the prescribed manner.

“We have stopped the transit of Russian gas, this is a historic event. Russia is losing markets, and it will incur financial losses. Europe has already decided to refuse Russian gas. The European initiative Repower EU exactly reflects what Ukraine has done today,” said Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.

The Ministry of Energy stated that as of January 1, the gas transportation system of Ukraine is operating in a mode with no Russian gas transit.

The infrastructure of the gas transmission system was prepped in advance to operate in a zero-transit mode while ensuring a reliable gas supply to Ukrainian consumers.

Cessation of Russian gas transit to Europe

Ukraine has decided not to continue the transit of Russian gas to European countries starting from January 1, 2025.

The European Union is prepared for this scenario and is capable of receiving blue fuel from other countries through alternative methods.

At the same time, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is ready to transport gas to Europe, provided that it is not Russian gas.

Due to the Russian aerial attack on Kyiv on the morning of January 1, debris from an enemy target has fallen in the Pecherskyi district of the capital. A non-residential building caught fire as a result, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration and the mayor of the city, Vitalii Klitschko.

“As a result of the Russian Armed Forces’ strike by drones on Kyiv, debris has been found in the Pecherskyi district of the city. According to preliminary information, the remnants fell on a non-residential building,” reported the Kyiv City Military Administration.

The administration added that no information regarding possible casualties has been received.

The details of the consequences are being clarified.

The Kyiv City Military Administration also noted that the air attack on the capital is ongoing, and air defense systems are operating in the city.

The mayor of Kyiv confirmed the initial reports of a fire in the Pecherskyi district.

“As a result of the enemy’s attack, there is a fire in a non-residential building in the Pecherskyi district. All emergency services are heading to the scene,” said the mayor.

Updated: More fires and a casualty

Later, Mayor Vitalii Klitschko reported that there was also a fire on the roof and in one of the apartments of a residential building in the Pecherskyi district of the capital.

The mayor mentioned that one person had sought medical attention.

“There is also information about debris falling onto another non-residential building in the Pecherskyi district,” he added.

Updated: Consequences clarified

Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko later reported that two upper floors of a residential building in Pechersk were partially destroyed.

“All services are working at the scene. Currently, one person has been injured and hospitalized,” he said.

Shahed drone attack

Earlier, it was reported that starting from the evening of December 31, 2024, Russian forces launched strike drones towards Ukraine for another attack. Air alerts were declared in several regions.

Around 7:00 a.m. Kyiv time, air defense systems in the Kyiv region began operating due to enemy drones.

Later, explosions were heard in Kyiv amid the drone attack.

In Kyiv this morning, January 1, explosions were heard. Enemy strike drones were moving toward the capital, and Ukrainians were also warned about the missile danger, according to a correspondent from RBC-Ukraine and the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The military informed about the threat of enemy drones for Kyiv at 6:43 a.m. Kyiv time.

Additionally, later it became known that air defense systems were operating in the Kyiv region, where enemy drones were spotted.

Around 7:10 a.m. Kyiv time, explosions were heard in the Kyiv area.

The Air Force had warned just a few minutes earlier about the potential use of ballistic weapons by Russian forces from the Kursk region for strikes on Ukrainian territory.

Later, around 7:25 a.m. Kyiv time, several explosions were heard again in the capital.

Nighttime airstrike

It should be noted that the Russian forces launched strike drones toward Ukraine starting on the evening of December 31, 2024, for another attack. Air alerts were declared in several regions.

Throughout the night of January 1, enemy drones frequently maneuvered, and their presence is still being detected in some regions.

Around 7 a.m. Kyiv time, air defense systems were activated in the Kyiv region due to enemy drones.

The Russian authorities have sent guidelines to the media, advising journalists to ignore any mention of the downing of an AZAL aircraft in Aktau. The case should be referred to as a tragic incident, as described by Russian President Vladimir Putin, reports the National Resistance Center (NRC).

The Center refers to a document shedding light on how Russia is attempting to cover up the situation regarding the downing of an Azerbaijani Airlines plane by Russian air defense in Aktau airport on December 25.

“It shows the degradation of the Russian regime, its total deceitfulness, and the rapid loss of foreign policy influence. It is also likely that the Russian dictator will not punish his loyal vassal Kadyrov or anyone from the Chechen administration at all, but will instead blame someone very minor. ,” the NRC states.

The NRC reminded that Chechen President Kadyrov has an extensive network of representatives across Russia. The document mentioned below was developed and sent on behalf of Turpal Akhmedovich Ilyasov, the representative of the head of the Chechen republic in the Urals Federal District.

The letter from Ilyasov was obtained from the email of his son, Adam Ilyasov. He also works in the same representation, serving as the head of the secretariat, and is responsible for media relations.

The document is a kind of guideline with instructions on what should or should not be commented on. The text suggests that it reflects the position of Kadyrov and his administration head, Galas Taimaskhanov.

In particular, the letter advises ignoring any mentions of the downing of the plane. Instead, it recommends calling it a tragic incident, as Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to it in his address.

The letter contains another level of cynicism:

The letter continues with intriguing details about the behind-the-scenes power dynamics within the Russian elite. It asserts that Russia will never admit its guilt, framing the situation as a clear stance of Putin. Consequently, it is merely described as a tragic accident that occurred in Russian airspace.

The letter also reveals that Putin is dependent on the loyalty of his Chechen vassals:

NRC conclusions

Firstly, Putin’s official apology to Azerbaijani President Aliyev was general and demonstrates how dependent Russia is on maintaining relations with both Azerbaijan and its regional partners.

“In fact, Putin’s position is too weak to ignore this incident. If earlier, as in the case of the downing of Malaysian flight MH-17, Russia could afford to ignore and hush up the facts for years, overloading the information space with mutually exclusive false versions, in the case of the Baku-Grozny flight, no matter how much Putin wanted to, he had to apologize,” writes the National Resistance Center (NRC).

The Center reminds that this apology was, of course, a half-apology, as Russia still does not want to fully admit its guilt and is thus playing with new speak about tragic incidents. However, such an apology does not satisfy the Azerbaijani side – they are demanding the identification of those responsible and holding them accountable.

Secondly, the NRC reminded that the Chechen Security Council and Kadyrov’s nephew, Hamzat, announced on Instagram on December 24 that all drones in the sky over Chechnya had been destroyed. “The information that the drones hit an object is not true, everything was shot down!” he wrote in the comment to the video of one of the drones being destroyed. He is virtually the only official who confirmed the drone attack on Chechnya.

“The next day, when it became known that the Azerbaijani plane had been shot down, Kadyrov awarded his nephew the medal “For Merit to the Chechen Republic.” Obviously, this gave rise to theories about the involvement of Kadyrov’s relatives in instructing air traffic controllers to redirect the plane so that it would crash into the sea, thus hiding all evidence of the crime,” the article reads.

The Center also believes that Chechnya and the Kadyrovites are a kind of oprichniki of Putin. It was noted that Moscow does not interfere with the Caucasus, and Chechnya has one of the lowest levels of involvement in the Russian occupation army, as well as a low level of casualties. Other, more distant regions (Bashkiria or Tatarstan) suffer much higher human losses.

“So, in this situation, when Putin is tied to the loyalty of the Caucasus but needs to find those responsible for the downing of the plane, he will most likely choose the traditional option of scapegoating. And the letter makes it clear that it will be the air traffic controllers, not the Chechen administration. This directive sent by Turpalov clearly shows the rapid degradation of the Russian Federation. After all, a regime built on lies and crimes cannot give the world anything but the suffering of innocent people,” the National Resistance Center stated.

Plane crash in Kazakhstan

On December 25, an Embraer 190 aircraft crashed during landing at the airport in the Kazakh city of Akau. There were 67 passengers and crew members on board, of which 38 people were killed.

The plane made three attempts to land in Grozny, Chechnya, but was unable to do so. During the last attempt, the aircraft was damaged and headed towards Kazakhstan.

In the first hours after the tragedy, the Russian side presented various reasons for the disaster: a bird strike, dense fog, and an explosion of an oxygen cylinder on board. However, after examining the wreckage, it was found that the aircraft had been hit by a surface-to-air missile — the plane’s landing coincided with the operation of air defense systems targeting Ukrainian drones in Grozny.

Russian President Vladimir Putin made two phone calls to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. During the conversations, the leaders discussed the details of the plane crash.

Read more about whether Aliyev will distance himself from Putin due to this aviation incident in our article.

Let 2025 be our year, the year of Ukraine. We know that peace will not be given to us as a gift. But we will do everything to stop Russia and end the war – something each of us desires, states Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his New Year’s address to the nation.

He emphasized that behind each of us stands Mother Ukraine, and she deserves to live in peace, wishing all of this for the Ukrainian people.

“As the President of Ukraine and as a citizen, I will do everything in the coming year to achieve this, knowing that I will not be alone. I know that alongside me stand millions of Ukrainians – strong, free, and magnificent,” the head of state said.

Predictions for 2025

Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, announced a significant number of good events in 2025. According to him, the new year will be better than the one that is passing.

Andrii Yusov, a representative of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, stated that Ukrainian drones are capable of striking military targets within Russia at distances of up to 2,000 kilometers.

Recently, the Ukrainian Armed Forces began receiving a new domestic drone, Shchedryk.