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

Every day, Midi Libre takes stock of the situation in Ukraine. This Tuesday, December 31, 2024, discover the latest news around this conflict.

“Everything will be fine,” Putin promises Russians in New Year's address

President Vladimir Putin promised Russians that “everything will be fine” in a New Year's address, but made no specific promises about the economy or the war in Ukraine.

“As we enter the New Year, we are thinking about the future. We are convinced that everything will be fine, that we will only move forward,” Putin said in a three-and-a-half-minute recorded address. “We know for sure that the highest 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 high central bank interest rates that are weighing on businesses and the real estate sector. Vladimir Putin, 72, paid tribute to Russian soldiers fighting in the war in Ukraine, calling them heroes once again. “We are proud of your courage and bravery. We believe in you,” he said.

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

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

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

A Magura V5 naval drone equipped with missiles hit a Russian Mi-8 helicopter near the Tarkhankut Peninsula on the western coast of Ukraine. Crimea, the Ukrainian Special Intelligence Agency (GUR) said on Telegram. According to the GUR, this is the first time that a Ukrainian naval drone has shot down an air target. Reuters has not been able to independently verify this information.

Russia has not commented on the incident, but the Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram that its fleet had destroyed eight drones in the Black Sea. In kyiv, witnesses reported several explosions after the Ukrainian Air Force warned of the risk of missile attacks across the country.

According to initial reports, missile debris fell on a private building in one of the capital's districts, the Kiev 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 northern Sumy region, authorities said on Telegram. Local Telegram channels reported explosions in the area.

Russia cuts gas shipments through Ukraine ahead of deal expiry

Russian gas giant Gazprom said Tuesday it was reducing the volume of gas it sends to Europe through Ukraine as a deal that has kept the flow flowing through nearly three years of war is set to expire. Gazprom said it would supply only 37.2 million cubic meters on Tuesday, down from 42.4 million cubic meters on Monday.

Flows are expected to fall to zero in the early hours of January 1, after the five-year transit agreement expires, which Ukraine has refused to renegotiate because of the war. The cutoff of supplies via Ukraine will be a blow to Moldova, a former part of the Soviet Union.

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