Ukraine closes Russian natural gas pipeline into Europe
A Ukrainian pipeline supplying Russian natural gas to Europe was closed Wednesday after Ukraine declined to renew the deal keeping it open.
A major natural gas pipeline supplying Russian energy to Europe ran dry Wednesday after Ukraine stopped Moscow’s six-decade supply in the hopes of hurting its invader financially.
The planned move marks the end of an era in which many European countries kept warm using gas pumped by Russia — which was in turn accused of using this dependency to blackmail its Western neighbors after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, something it denies.
Gazprom confirmed in a statement that the pipeline agreement had lapsed following “repeated and explicit refusal to extend these agreements” by Ukraine.
Just as the pipeline agreement expired, Russia launched its latest salvo of drone attacks on Ukraine, as Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks to build on his battlefield momentum by targeting Ukrainian civilians and energy infrastructure during its bitter winter.
Most of Russia’s 111 drones were repelled by Ukraine’s Western-backed missile defense systems, aircraft and electronic warfare technology, officials said, although at least six people were injured and two killed in the capital Kyiv.
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