Russian forces are advancing in the east, slowly but surely, and they are shrinking Ukraine’s partial hold of the border region of Kursk

The Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod pipeline was built in the Soviet era to carry Siberian gas to European markets. It became the main conduit to Ukraine’s border with Slovakia from Siberia, passing through the town of Sudzha — which is now under the control of Ukrainian military forces — in Russia’s Kursk region.

Three years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine has cut off Russian natural gas supplies to Europe, not only blocking a major customer of Russia's gas but eliminating a point of leverage Russia could use against Europe in discouraging assistance to Ukraine.

With soaring inflation and the ruble dropping to one of its lowest levels against the dollar since President Vladimir Putin launched his war in Ukraine, this year Russians will have to pay more for the dish, which is traditionally served alongside caviar and tangerines, before the New Year is toasted in.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump could be decisive in the outcome of the 34-month-old war with Russia and help stop Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.

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

In his New Year's address, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a bold challenge to Ukraine and the West, declaring that Russia will not halt its military actions. He praised the Russian soldiers fighting on the frontlines,

President Vladimir Putin told Russians in a New Year address that the country would move forward with confidence in 2025, though he offered no specific promises on the economy or the war in Ukraine. At a time when many ordinary people are worried about rising prices and the central bank's 21% interest rate is squeezing businesses and homebuyers,