War in Ukraine: Putin promises that “everything will be fine”, Russian attack on kyiv which shoots down a helicopter in the Black Sea… an update on the situation

“Everything will be fine,” Putin promises Russians during his greetings

President Vladimir Putin promised Russians that “everything will be fine” in a speech delivered on the occasion of his wishes for the new year, without however making specific promises on the economy or the war in Ukraine.

“On the threshold of the new year, we think about the future. We are convinced that everything will be fine, that we will only move forward,” Vladimir Putin said in a three-and-a-half minute recorded speech. “We know for sure that the supreme value for us was, is and will be the destiny of Russia, the well-being of its citizens,” he added.

Russians are particularly concerned about rising prices and the central bank’s high interest rates, which are weighing on businesses and the real estate sector. Vladimir Putin, 72, paid tribute to Russian soldiers participating in the war in Ukraine, once again calling them heroes. “We are proud of your courage and bravery. We believe in you”, he declared.

The Kremlin leader made no specific reference to the situation on the battlefield or a possible end to the conflict as Donald Trump, who is due to take over the US presidency on January 20, has promised to quickly end the war , without explaining how.

Ukraine repels attack on kyiv, shoots down Russian helicopter in Black Sea

Ukrainian military intelligence said Tuesday that a naval drone destroyed a Russian helicopter and damaged another in the Black Sea, while a Russian air attack in kyiv was repelled by air defenses, according to Ukraine’s military administration. the city.

A Magura V5 naval drone equipped with missiles hit a Russian Mi-8 helicopter near the Tarkhankut peninsula on the west coast of Crimea, Ukraine’s intelligence agency (GUR) said on Telegram. According to the GUR, this is the first time that a Ukrainian naval drone has shot down an aerial target. Reuters was unable to independently verify this information.

Russia has not commented on the matter, but the Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram that its fleet destroyed eight drones in the Black Sea. In kyiv, witnesses reported several explosions after Ukraine’s air force warned of the risk of missile attacks across the country.

According to initial information, missile debris fell on a private building in one of the capital’s districts, the kyiv military administration said on Telegram. There was no fire or damage and no casualties were reported.

Separately, unidentified infrastructure was hit by a Russian missile attack in the town of Shostka, in the Sumy region, in the north of the country, authorities said on Telegram. Local Telegram channels reported explosions in the area.

Russia cuts gas shipments through Ukraine before deal expires

Russian gas giant Gazprom announced on Tuesday that it was reducing the volume of gas sent to Europe via Ukraine, while the agreement which had made it possible to maintain flows during almost three years of war is due to expire. Gazprom said it would supply only 37.2 million cubic meters on Tuesday, compared to 42.4 million cubic meters on Monday.

Flows are expected to drop to zero in the early hours of January 1, after the expiration of the five-year transit agreement, which Ukraine has refused to renegotiate due to the war. The cessation of supplies via Ukraine will be a blow to Moldova, a country that was once part of the Soviet Union.

Among the countries of the European Union, Slovakia will be the most affected. Hungary will continue to receive Russian gas from the south, via the TurkStream pipeline that crosses the bottom of the Black Sea, although it wants to maintain the Ukrainian route as well. Ukraine forgoes about $800 million a year in fees from Russia, while Gazprom will lose nearly $5 billion in gas sales to Europe via Ukraine