MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian energy giant Gazprom (MCX:) said on Wednesday that gas exports through Ukraine to Europe had been halted as of 8 a.m. Moscow time (0500 GMT), as the transit agreement expired
The closure of Russia’s oldest gas route to Europe ends a decade of tense relations sparked by Russia’s 2014 seizure of Crimea.
Russia still exports gas through the TurkStream gas pipeline on the floor of the Black Sea.
The European Union redoubled its efforts to reduce its dependence on Russian energy after the outbreak of the military conflict in Ukraine in 2022 by seeking alternative sources.
The five-year gas transit agreement between Russia and Ukraine expired in the early hours of January 1, 2025, while kyiv has repeatedly said it would not extend the deal amid the war.
“Due to the repeated and clearly expressed refusal of the Ukrainian side to renew these agreements, Gazprom was deprived of the technical and legal ability to supply gas for transit through the territory of Ukraine from January 1, 2025,” it said. Gazprom in a statement on the Telegram messaging application.
“As of 08:00 Moscow time, the supply of Russian gas for transportation through the territory of Ukraine is not carried out.”