Russian gas transit through Ukraine to Europe has been suspended as planned, authorities said on New Year's Day.
Russia's Gazprom has no legal or technical means to pump gas through Ukraine after Kiev allowed an existing contract to expire on Wednesday, the company wrote on Telegram.
So traffic has been suspended since 6 am (0500 GMT).
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday said the suspension of the flow of Russian natural gas through Ukraine to Europe marked a major defeat for Moscow.
Zelensky said that when Russian President Vladimir Putin took office for the first time more than 25 years ago, the flow of gas through Ukraine to Europe was more than 130 billion cubic meters per year.
“Today, the flow of Russian gas [zero]. This is one of the biggest defeats for Moscow,” Zelensky wrote in Telegram.
Ukraine's Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko called the suspension of Russian gas transit to the war-torn country a “historic event.”
“Russia is losing markets, it will face financial losses,” he said.
Under the contract, Ukraine also collected billions in transit money. But Halushchenko said the gas distribution network had been prepared for a supply freeze, helped by the EU, which sought alternatives to Russian gas after Moscow launched its all-out offensive.
Kiev's move means that Slovakia will no longer receive Russian gas through the pipeline.
Slovakia, an EU and NATO member state that borders Ukraine, has threatened Kiev with the consequences of taking this step.
The validity of the contract signed on December 30, 2019, expired this morning, Gazprom said, noting that the Ukrainian side repeatedly refused to extend the contract.
Kiev has said it will no longer allow Russian gas transit through its territory to deny Moscow billions of dollars in revenue used to finance the war in Ukraine.
The Slovak government criticized Kiev for this decision, while assuring the people that gas storage facilities are 100% full, with enough reserves for the winter.
Prime Minister Robert Fico, criticizing the move to support Russia, threatened to cut electricity from Slovakia to Ukraine.
Fico remains one of the EU's strongest opponents of military aid to Ukraine.
Moldova would also be affected by the Ukrainian transit ban. However, Gazprom had already decided to stop deliveries to the former Soviet republic, where pro-European and pro-Russian forces are vying for power, due to alleged debts.
The Moldovan government has denied that it owes Gazprom a $790 million debt.
Despite the supply freeze, Russian gas continues to reach the EU using other routes, including the TurkStream and Blue Stream gas pipelines located in the Black Sea.
TurkStream, for example, serves not only Turkey but also Southeast Europe.
Russian energy analysts recently said that Gazprom could increase its pipeline deliveries by 4 to 6 billion cubic meters per year.
Even now, Russia continues to make billions by exporting gas to individual EU countries, including Hungary. Moscow has also recently increased exports to China in particular.
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