Residents of Cetinje, Montenegro, said they were shocked over the fatal shooting of 12 people in the community on New Year's Day. The suspected shooter, Aco Martinovic, fired upon people in separate incidents before committing suicide, according to police. The Balkan nation declared three days of mourning in the wake of the killings, in which at least four others were seriously wounded. Cetinje also witnessed the fatal shootings of 10 people by a local man in 2022.
Tighina, MOLDOVA -- Thousands of households in Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniester have been forced to cope without gas, heating, and hot water after supplies of Russian natural gas abruptly stopped on January 1 due to the expiration of a supply contract with Ukraine, a major transit hub for the gas.
The pipeline that runs through Ukraine, Russia's oldest gas export route to Europe, shut down at the end of 2024 with the expiration of the contract.
RFE/RL's Ukraine Live Briefing gives you the latest developments on Russia's invasion, Western military aid, the plight of civilians, and territorial control maps. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.
The stoppage means Ukraine will forego around $800 million a year in transit fees. Russian energy giant Gazprom, meanwhile, will lose out on nearly $5 billion in gas sales.
But the biggest losers in the move may be Transdniester's 450,000 residents, many of whom, especially those living in apartment buildings, have been left without heating and hot water in a region totally dependent on Russian gas supplies.
"For now, the situation is not critical," one man from the city of Tighina told RFE/RL's Moldovan service on January 2, noting he has been able to cope so far using his electric stove.
"For others, maybe, it's worse," he quickly adds.
The municipal administration in Transdniester's capital, Tiraspol, has said it has natural gas reserves of about 13 million cubic meters, which is sufficient for about 20 days. However, the supply is intended mainly for hospitals and other "public and social institutions."
To help, the city said it has set up 30 meeting points where people can gather to warm up and eat hot meals.
Meanwhile, about 115,000 households are receiving natural gas supplies only for cooking, according to supplier Tiraspoltransgaz.
"We have started to adapt," one woman from Tighina told RFE/RL. "We have a stove, an electric hob, and we manage," she added.
The cut in Russian gas supplies to the rest of Europe comes as part of the diplomatic war that has accompanied the battleground fighting sparked by Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which is nearing its third year.
The pipeline brought gas from Siberia to the Russia town of Sudzha, which is now under the control of Ukrainian soldiers in Russia's Kursk region.
From there it flowed through Ukraine to Slovakia, where the Soviet-era pipeline splits into branches going to the Czech Republic and Austria.
Ukraine repeatedly said it would not sign a new deal to replace the one expiring due to the war. The decision also aligns with efforts by Ukraine and its allies to cut off Kremlin sources of funding for the war.
Alternative Energy Sources
Russia used to supply a little under half of the European Union's natural gas, but the EU drastically reduced its dependency on that supply after the outbreak of the war.
Europe has found alternative energy sources, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) provided by the United States and Qatar and a piped supply from Norway.
The remaining buyers of the Russian gas traversing Ukraine, including Slovakia and Austria, have arranged for alternative supplies, and analysts foresee minimal market impact from the stoppage.
Austria's Energy Ministry said the natural gas supply for consumers was guaranteed thanks to purchases made for gas flowing through Italy and Germany and the filling of storage.
Slovakia will also not risk a shortage, though it faces an extra 177 million euros ($184 million) in fees for alternative routes, its Economy Ministry said.
European Commission spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said EU preparations ahead of the end of the contract had included energy efficiency measures, renewable energy development, and a flexible gas system.
Most Russian gas routes to Europe are now shut, including Yamal-Europe via Belarus and the Nord Stream pipelines under the Baltic, which were blown up in 2022.
Hungary and other countries continue to receive Russian gas from the south via the TurkStream pipeline on the bottom of the Black Sea. Hungary and Slovakia, which have close ties with the Kremlin despite the war, had been keen to continue deliveries through the Ukrainian route.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on January 1 that the end of natural gas supplies to Europe via a major pipeline traversing Ukraine is one of the "biggest defeats" for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As a result of Russia weaponizing energy and resorting to cynical blackmail of partners, Moscow lost one of the most profitable and geographically accessible markets,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Kyiv is making preparations to reestablish ties with Syria after a diplomatic mission led by Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha visited Damascus to meet with the Middle Eastern country's new leadership.
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The Ukrainian delegation met with Syria's de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa and other interim government figures on December 30 after the Russia-backed administration of ousted President Bashar al-Assad was toppled earlier this month.
"We are preparing to restore diplomatic relations with Syria and the interaction with international organizations. I would like to thank our intelligence for securing the basis for these contacts as a result of the visit," Zelenskiy said in a video on social media on January 2.
The rebels who ousted Assad were led by Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Islamist group, a U.S. and EU-designated terrorist organization.
Sharaa has publicly pledged to adopt moderate policies regarding women's rights, national reconciliation, and relations with the international community, although world leaders say they remain wary of the new rulers pending concrete actions.
Ukraine has moved quickly to establish a line of communication with the new Syrian leaders saying it is interested in stabilizing the situation and believes it is essential for Syria's security to remove any Russian presence from the country.
Zelenskiy announced earlier this week that Ukraine had delivered 500 tons of wheat flour to Syria as part of its "Grain from Ukraine" initiative.
Russia granted Assad and his family asylum earlier this month after they fled Damascus on December 8.
Kremlin aides have said Moscow is in contact with Syria's new administration at both a diplomatic and military level. Russia is concerned, in particular, about the fate of a naval facility and an air base it operates in the country.
Several media outlets, including The Washington Post, have reported that Syrian fighters received about 150 drones as well as other covert support from Ukrainian intelligence operatives ahead of their lightning advance through the country that culminated in the toppling of Assad.
Montenegro began a three-day mourning period on January 2 following a deadly mass shooting incident on New Year's Day.
Twelve people, including two children, were killed in Cetinje after a gunman went on a rampage in the western city late on January 1. Four others were injured in the killing spree.
Authorities in Cetinje have announced that all planned events and public gatherings in the city have been canceled for the foreseeable future.
Officials said the suspected shooter, identified as Aco Martinovic, attempted suicide after a manhunt was launched and died while being transported to hospital.
Montenegrin Interior Minister Danilo Saranovic said at a predawn press conference on January 2 that the motive for the killings was unknown.
The victims were killed at five separate locations: four people each at the first and second locations, two children aged 10 and 13 at the third, and one person each at the fourth and fifth locations.
Police have not yet revealed their identities, but Saranovic said they included relatives and friends of the suspect.
Of the three men and one woman who were injured in the incident, one was in extremely critical condition and the three others were in a stable but life-threatening state, said Aleksandar Radovic, the head of the Clinical Center in the capital, Podgorica, where the patients are being treated.
"Two men and one woman are stable, and this morning they are in the process of being weaned off a ventilator," he said on January 2. "The fourth is in critical condition, he underwent surgery early this morning."
The rampage began after a brawl in a bar, officials said. Police said in a statement that the incident was "not the result of a confrontation between organized crime groups."
Martinovic had a conditional conviction in 2005 for violent behavior and had been sentenced to one year in prison, but was not considered a person of significant security interest, according to Saranovic.
He added that in 2022, weapons and explosives had been found in Martinovic's possession, leading to a three-month sentence.
The victims are believed to have been relatives, friends, and godparents of Martinovic.
Prime Minister Milojko Spajic went to the hospital where the wounded were being treated and announced three days of mourning, beginning on January 2. New Year's concerts in Podgorica, Budva, and Kotor were also canceled.
Spajic also announced that the government would be looking to introduce stricter gun laws in Montenegro, which has long had comparatively high rates of gun ownership. "We will consider a complete ban on carrying firearms," he said.
President Jakov Milatovic said he was “shocked and stunned” by the tragedy. “Instead of holiday joy...we have been gripped by sadness over the loss of innocent lives,” Milatovic said on X.
Meanwhile, other regional leaders have expressed their condolences over the killings.
In a statement on his Instagram account, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, said he reacted to the news "with sorrow, disbelief, and regret." He also offered support, pledging "any form of assistance from Serbia."
Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman, conveyed his sympathies in a telegram. "Unfortunately, violence has become an everyday occurrence and knows no borders," he stated.
Zeljko Komsic, a member of Bosnia-Herzegovina's presidency, also expressed his condolences and emphasized his support for Montenegro in a phone call with Milatovic.
The U.S. Embassy in Podgorica joined others in expressing its sympathy, saying in a post on X that "we extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wish a full recovery to those injured."
The rampage was the second in the past three years in Cetinje, which lies about 30 kilometers from Podgorica. In August 2022, an attacker killed 10 people, including two children, before he was shot and killed by a passerby in the city.
Shi’ite and Sunni leaders in northwestern Pakistan on January 1 signed a peace agreement to end tensions and establish a permanent cease-fire after clashes believed to be linked to a tribal land dispute killed more than 100 people in the past 90 days.
A traditional gathering of ethnic, religious, and political leaders known as a Loya Jirga concluded in the regional capital, Quetta, after the parties signed the agreement. The meeting had taken place over the previous three weeks with the support of the provincial government.
The agreement comes after an attack on November 21, 2024, on a passenger convoy in the Kurram district killed around 46 Shi’ites and four Sunnis. Fighting between Shi’ite and Sunni groups subsequently broke out, killing around 130 people and injuring more than 200, including the initial attack on November 21.
An earlier attack on October 12, 2024, initially injured three people traveling to Kunj Alizu mountain before the gunmen attacked a convoy of passenger vehicles in the same area, killing 17.
Malik Abdul Wali Khan, a participant in the Loya Jirga, told RFE/RL on January 1 that Shi’ite leaders had first signed the agreement. Twenty leaders representing Sunnis then added their signatures on January 1. Some of the remaining leaders would sign the agreement soon, Khan said.
He added that after the peace agreement is signed by all the leaders attending the Loya Jirga, roads in the Kurram district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province that have been closed for nearly three months will be reopened and the government will be responsible for protecting them.
Roads in Kurram have remained closed despite repeated calls from the public for them to be reopened. Though the two sides reached a cease-fire brokered by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on December 1, 2024, key public roads have not reopened, according to local residents.
The road closures have led to severe shortages of essential goods, including food, medicine, fuel, firewood, and gas.
The provincial government had previously decided to deploy about 400 special police officers to secure the Parachinar road in Kurram by setting up checkpoints every few kilometers.
According to the agreement signed at the Loya Jirga, a strategy is to be developed within 15 days for the handover of weapons to the government. In return, the bunkers built by both sides in the area will be dismantled, and all people displaced by the unrest will be resettled back home.
The agreement also says that future land disputes will be resolved through oral and written documents and says the government will take action against those who spread hate on social media.
Bulgarians and Romanians celebrated the lifting of European Union land border controls as the two EU members gained full entry into the bloc’s free-travel Schengen Zone.
Fireworks lit up the sky at the border crossing near the Bulgarian town of Ruse just after midnight on January 1 as the interior ministers from the two countries symbolically raised a gate on the Friendship Bridge across the Danube River.
Romanian authorities said they will scrap 39 border crossing posts between it and Hungary and Bulgaria.
Though both Romania and Bulgaria have been members of the European Union since 2007, they were still subject to visa requirements across the EU. Objections from Austria, which argued that the two countries were not doing enough to stem illegal migration, had held up the process for years.
Joining the Schengen Zone now means citizens can now cross borders, neighboring and further afield, without passport checks.
Romania pledged to continue conducting random spot checks of identification documents to monitor illegal migration.
"This is a historic moment," said Bulgarian Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev who symbolically splashed water at the border checkpoint at Kulata. "From Greece in the south to Finland to the north and all the way to Portugal to the west -- you can travel without borders."
The Schengen area now covers 25 of the 27 EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
Hungary has been officially denied some $1 billion dollars in European Union funding that the bloc had frozen because of corruption allegations.
The move, confirmed in an EU statement late on December 31, was the first time that it had taken such a step against a bloc member.
Budapest made no immediate statement about the expired funds.
That amount was part of a larger sum -- 19 billion euros ($19.7 billion) -- that had been frozen, dating back to 2022, when Brussels began "conditionality" proceedings against Hungary.
Those proceedings blocked the disbursements of funds because of allegations that the Hungarian government had violated rules on public procurement as well as a lack of control and transparency.
Budapest made a number of reforms that allowed some funds to be unblocked, but the deadline for the release of the latest installment expired on December 31.
That meant that Hungary lost the funding, which amounted to 1.04 billion euros ($1.08 billion).
In a report released in July, the European Commission said that Hungary did not meet EU democratic standards, specifically regarding political financing, conflicts of interest, and media independence.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban earlier promised to fight to protect money "that is ours.”
"They constantly try to take the money of Hungarians by a variety of means and a variety of methods," he said in December.
Hungary’s economy is sputtering, putting pressure on Orban ahead of new parliamentary elections scheduled for 2026.
Russia targeted Ukraine with scores of drones overnight, and Ukrainian officials claimed most were downed or jammed by air defenses. At least one person was killed in Kyiv.
RFE/RL's Ukraine Live Briefing gives you the latest developments on Russia's invasion, Western military aid, the plight of civilians, and territorial control maps. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.
The January 1 air assault was the latest effort by Russia to batter Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and terrorize its exhausted population, nearly three years into Moscow’s all-out invasion.
Ukrainian authorities said one person was killed in Kyiv during the attack, and seven others were wounded by debris.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said two floors of a residential building were partially destroyed and the body of a woman was later pulled from the debris.
Ukraine’s air force said in a statement that 111 attack drones in all were launched by Russia, and 63 of them were shot down. Another 46 were “locationally lost,” it said, meaning they were likely jammed by electronic warfare defenses.
"Even on New Year's Eve, Russia was only concerned about how to hurt Ukraine," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Telegram.
Though Ukraine has made major strides in protecting its energy infrastructure and building alterative backup supplies, the country continues to suffer regular blackouts and disruptions in central heating and hot water as Russia uses drones, as well as ballistic and cruise missiles to hammer targets.
Russia, for its part, said Ukraine had fired at least 66 drones at targets inside Russia. The Defense Ministry claimed all had been downed.
On the battlefield, meanwhile, exhausted Ukrainian forces struggle to hold back relentless Russian advances at multiple locations across the nearly 1,100-kilometer front line.
The logistics hub of Pokrovsk, in the eastern Donetsk region, is increasingly at risk of encirclement, and Russian forces are grinding down Ukrainian defenses near Kurakhove, Velyka Novosilka, and Chasiv Yar.
Further to the north, Ukrainian troops have steadily lost ground in Kursk, the Russian border region where Kyiv launched a surprise, cross-border invasion over the summer. Moscow has employed thousands of North Korean forces to help push back Ukrainian troops.
"We know that peace will not be given to us as a gift, but we will do everything to stop Russia and end the war, something each of us desires," Zelenskiy said in 21-minute New Year's greetings video that was set against a backdrop of the blue-and-yellow national flag, battlefield scenes and pictures of children.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on January 1 that the end of natural gas supplies to Europe via a major pipeline traversing Ukraine is a major defeat for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
When Putin became president of Russia more than 25 years ago, the amount of natural gas transiting through Ukraine to Europe annually totaled more than 130 billion cubic meters, Zelenskiy said on X. Now it is zero, he said.
"This is one of Moscow's biggest defeats. As a result of Russia weaponizing energy and resorting to cynical blackmail of partners, Moscow lost one of the most profitable and geographically accessible markets,” he said.
Zelenskiy's comments came after Russian state gas giant Gazprom said that it had suspended gas supplies to Europe via the pipeline after Kyiv refused to renew a transit contract signed before Moscow’s all-out invasion in 2022.
The stoppage means Ukraine will forego around $800 million a year in transit fees. Gazprom, meanwhile, will lose out on nearly $5 billion in gas sales.
Zelenskiy said the majority of European countries had adjusted to the changes but noted that Ukraine and its allies must “support Moldova during the energy transformation period.” Moldova is still partially dependent on Russian gas.
He also said Ukraine hopes for an increased U.S. gas supply to Europe, saying that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who is set to be inaugurated on January 20, had already mentioned this possibility.
“The more gas available on the market from Europe's true partners, the sooner the last remaining consequences of Europe's reliance on Russia will be eliminated,” he said.
RFE/RL's Ukraine Live Briefing gives you the latest developments on Russia's invasion, Western military aid, the plight of civilians, and territorial control maps. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.
The stoppage, announced by Gazprom early on January 1 on Telegram, was expected after Ukraine had repeatedly said it would not renew the contract. It was not expected to cause major immediate problems for most European customers due to a yearslong effort by many countries to wean themselves off Russian gas.
Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, and several Balkan countries had continued to use Russian gas shipped via Ukraine, though in smaller volumes.
Challenges In Moldova
Moldova, however, was more at risk, due to a major power plant that is fueled by Russian gas. Moldovan officials had declared a state of emergency last month in anticipation of the transit contract between Moscow and Kyiv expiring.
The Transnistrian Regional Power Plant, located in the breakaway region of Transdniestr, began shutting down early on January 1, and its operator, Tirasteploenergo, said it was cutting central heating and hot water supplies to all households and administrative buildings in Transdniestr except for hospitals.
Residents of the region were told where they could buy firewood and coal and were permitted to collect tree trunks, fallen branches, and other dry wood from forests for personal use, but must inform the forestry authorities in advance.
Residents have access to electricity from the power plant, but it is unclear how long it will last. Authorities in the breakaway region said this could be about 50 days, based on the supply of coal. However, estimates from officials at the Energy Ministry in Chisinau say it would be closer to 20 days.
Soviet-Era Pipeline
The Ukrainian Energy Ministry said the flow of Russian natural gas through the territory of Ukraine was stopped for national security reasons and it had informed its international partners about the move.
"We have stopped the transit of Russian gas, this is a historical event," Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said in a statement. "Russia is losing its markets, it will suffer financial losses."
The Soviet-era pipeline, which brought gas from Siberia to the Russia border town of Sudzha then into Ukraine, was the last major pipeline for Russian gas to Europe in operation following the destruction of the undersea Nord Stream pipeline in late 2022.
The Yamal-Europe pipeline, which brought gas to Poland via Belarus, has also been shut due to the Ukraine invasion launched in February 2022.
Many European customers have turned to alternative sources, including liquefied natural gas provided by the United States and Qatar and from Norway.
Austria's Energy Ministry said its supplies were guaranteed thanks to purchases made for gas flowing through Italy and Germany and earlier efforts to fill up storage containers.
Hungary and other countries continue to receive Russian gas from the south via the Black Sea TurkStream pipeline.
Fico Visit
Slovakia, whose prime minister, Robert Fico, made an unusual visit to Moscow last month, was also not expected to see any shortages, though officials said alternate supplies would cost an extra 177 million euros ($184 million).
In a statement released hours after gas stopped flowing, Fico predicted the move would have "dramatic consequences for all of us in the European Union" but not for Russia.
"Regardless of whether two elephants love each other or fight against each other it's the grass that invariably gets hurt," he said.
He added that he did not want Slovakia to be "that grass" and for this reason he would continue building a "dual-track" foreign policy toward the EU and Russia simultaneously and would "not interfere in the internal affairs of others."
In his post on X, Zelenskiy referred to the “hysteria of some European politicians who prefer mafia-style schemes with Moscow to transparent energy policy” but did not refer to Fico by name.
Zelenskiy last week was outraged when Fico met with Putin and subsequently threatened to cut off Ukraine's emergency power supply during the winter months over Kyiv's decision not to renew the pipeline contract.
Zelenskiy accused Fico of taking "orders" from the Kremlin to harm Ukraine and his own people while Russia attacks Ukrainian power plants and its energy grid.
The United States has imposed sanctions against the Russian judge who sentenced human rights activist Alexei Gorinov to seven years in jail for speaking against the war in Ukraine.
The U.S. Treasury Department on December 31 said it was imposing sanctions on Olesya Mendeleeva "for her role in the arbitrary detention” of Gorinov, a former Moscow municipal deputy.
Gorinov, 63, was the first man to be jailed under Russia's war censorship laws and is one of the most prominent jailed dissidents still inside Russia.
He was convicted in 2022 for spreading false information about the Russian army after telling a Moscow City Council meeting that children in Ukraine were "dying every day" as a result of Moscow's invasion. He also called the full-scale invasion a "war" rather than "a special operation," according to the Treasury Department.
"Known for handing down long and harsh sentences, Mendeleeva convicted Gorinov for knowingly disseminating false information about the Russian military, becoming the first judge in Russia to find a defendant guilty...for such a charge," the department said in a news release.
After serving two years of the seven-year sentence, Gorinov was handed a new three-year sentence in November on a charge of justifying terrorism based on alleged conversations with fellow inmates about Ukraine's Azov Regiment.
During the hearing, Gorinov firmly denied any ties to terrorism, calling himself “a committed internationalist and an opponent of war and violence.”
Mendeleeva was designated for sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world. The sanctions freeze any assets the judge holds in U.S. jurisdiction and generally bars U.S. persons from dealing with her.
Earlier this year, Gorinov, who is in poor health, was transferred from a detention center in Moscow to a prison in the Vladimir region. He complained of harsh conditions, including solitary confinement in a cold cell without a mattress, blanket, or access to hot water.
Gorinov was relocated to a slightly improved cell after Dmitry Muratov, editor in chief of the Novaya gazeta newspaper and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross for an inspection of the conditions Gorinov was being held in.
The Treasury Department’s news release said Gorinov had suffered physical abuse and had been denied medical treatment.
It quoted Bradley T. Smith, acting Treasury undersecretary, as saying that Russia's manipulation of its legal system “silences dissent and suffocates the truth about Russia's indefensible war against Ukraine."
Smith added that the United States joins international human rights experts in calling for Gorinov’s release and the release of all others arbitrarily detained in Russia.
U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller also called on Russia to release Gorinov and all others arbitrarily detained.
“The United States stands in solidarity with the Russian people, who face threats, violence, reprisal, and imprisonment from Russian Federation authorities for exercising their human rights and fundamental freedoms in their own country,” Miller said in a news release.
Russian natural gas supplies to Europe via a pipeline traversing Ukraine are set to end on January 1 with the expiration of a contract signed before Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
The pipeline, Russia's oldest gas export route to Europe, was set to shut down at the end of 2024 with the expiration of the contract. Data from Ukraine's gas transit operator on December 31 showed that Russia had not requested any gas flows for January 1.
The operator said Russia had begun reducing gas flows through the pipeline hours ahead of the expiration of the contract signed in December 2019 between Gazprom and Ukraine's Naftogaz.
The pipeline brought gas from Siberia to the Russia town of Sudzha, which is now under the control of Ukrainian soldiers in the Kursk region. It then flowed through Ukraine to Slovakia, where the Soviet-era pipeline splits into branches going to the Czech Republic and Austria.
Ukraine repeatedly said it would not sign a new deal to replace the one expiring due to the war. The decision also aligns with efforts by Ukraine and its allies to cut off the Kremlin's source of funding for the war.
Russia used to supply a little under half of the European Union's natural gas, but the European Union drastically reduced its dependency on that supply after the outbreak of the war.
Europe has found alternative energy sources, including liquified natural gas (LNG) provided by the United States and Qatar and a piped supply from Norway.
The remaining buyers of the Russian gas traversing Ukraine, including Slovakia and Austria, have arranged for alternative supplies, and analysts foresee minimal market impact from the stoppage.
Austria's Energy Ministry said the natural gas supply for consumers was guaranteed thanks to purchases made for gas flowing through Italy and Germany and the filling of storage.
Slovakia will also not risk a shortage, though it faces an extra 177 million euros ($184 million) in fees for alternative routes, its Economy Ministry said.
European Commission spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said EU preparations ahead of the end of the contract had included energy efficiency measures, renewable energy development, and a flexible gas system.
"The European gas infrastructure is flexible enough to provide gas of non-Russian origin to Central and Eastern Europe via alternative routes. It has been reinforced with significant new LNG import capacities since 2022," Itkonen said.
The consequences for Ukraine including giving up some $800 million a year in fees from Russia, while Gazprom will lose close to $5 billion in gas sales to Europe.
Most Russian gas routes to Europe are now shut, including Yamal-Europe via Belarus and the Nord Stream pipelines under the Baltic, which were blown up in 2022.
Hungary and other countries continue to receive Russian gas from the south via the TurkStream pipeline on the bottom of the Black Sea. Hungary and Slovakia, which maintained close ties with the Kremlin despite the war, had been keen to continue deliveries through the Ukrainian route.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy last week was outraged when Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and subsequently threatened to cut off Ukraine's emergency power supply during the winter months over Ukraine's decision not to renew the pipeline contract.
He accused Fico of taking "orders" from the Kremlin to harm Kyiv and his own people while Russia attacks Ukrainian power plants and its energy grid.
The United States on December 31 imposed sanctions on entities in Iran and Russia that it accused of attempting to “stoke socio-political tensions” through disinformation campaigns during the 2024 U.S. elections.
The U.S. Treasury Department said its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on a subsidiary of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and an organization affiliated with the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU).
“As affiliates of the IRGC and GRU, these actors aimed to stoke socio-political tensions and influence the U.S. electorate during the 2024 U.S. election,” the Treasury Department said in a news release.
The governments of Iran and Russia have targeted the U.S. election processes and institutions and have sought to divide Americans through targeted disinformation campaigns, said acting Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith.
“The United States will remain vigilant against adversaries who would undermine our democracy,” Smith said in the news release.
The Russian Embassy in Washington denied the accusations.
"Russia has not and does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, including the United States," an embassy spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters.
"As President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stressed, we respect the will of the American people. All insinuations about 'Russian machinations' are malicious slander, invented for use in the internal political struggles in the United States," the spokesperson added.
Former President Donald Trump of the Republican party defeated Democratic party candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump is to be inaugurated on January 20.
The Treasury Department’s announcement named Cognitive Design Production Center, a subsidiary of the IRGC, for allegedly planning influence operations since at least 2023.
It also singled out Moscow-based Center for Geopolitical Expertise (CGE) as the newly sanctioned Russian entity, saying it circulated disinformation about candidates and directed and subsidized the creation of deep fakes.
CGE also manipulated a video to produce "baseless accusations concerning a 2024 vice presidential candidate," the department said. It did not specify which candidate was targeted.
The center used generative AI tools to create disinformation distributed across a network of websites that were designed to look like legitimate news outlets, the department said.
It accused the GRU of funding the CGE and a network of U.S.-based facilitators in order to build and maintain its AI-support server and maintain the network of websites.
CGE director Valery Korovin was also designated for sanctions in the announcement on December 31.
The latest action builds on sanctions previously imposed on the IRGC, GRU, and other proxy groups. The sanctions freeze any assets the entities hold in U.S. jurisdiction and generally bar Americans from dealing with them.
Earlier this year, the U.S. government said that Iranian authorities sought to stoke discord and undermine confidence in U.S. democratic institutions using “social engineering and other efforts to gain access to individuals with direct access to the presidential campaigns of both parties.”
The Treasury Department announced a round of sanctions against an Iranian national and employees of an Iranian cybersecurity company following that disclosure.
Ukrainian's military said it has downed a Russian helicopter for the first time with a missile launched from a new-generation sea drone. In a December 31 statement, Ukraine said a water-based drone on the Black Sea was responsible for the attack. Until now, such drones have only been known for strikes against Russian ships or other marine targets.
At least 63 kilometers of coastline in Russia's southern region of Kuban has been covered by heavy fuel oil from two oil tankers that ran aground in the ecologically sensitive waters off Ukraine's Moscow-annexed Crimean Black Sea coast.
The Emergency Situations Ministry reported on December 31 that while almost 70,000 tons of contaminated sand and soil were collected from the coast, new pockets of fuel oil have been found.
The accident, which occurred on December 15, left one sailor dead and forced the evacuation of 26 crew members from the vessels Volgoneft-239 and Volgoneft-212.
Officials have said crew error during stormy conditions was to blame and there was no evidence of any links to Russia's war on Ukraine.
Both tankers were laden with large cargoes of fuel oil. The Volgoneft-212 is said to have been carrying more than 4,000 tons of the heavy pollutant, leaving the potential for one of the largest environmental disasters ever in the Kerch Strait, which is a key shipping lane.
Volunteers have been racing to clean up the spill but have complained that instead of receiving special equipment from the government, people were being forced to clean up the fuel oil with shovels and scoops while breathing in toxic fumes.
They said the situation is so bad that they appealed to President Vladimir Putin to intervene and send additional forces to clean up the shore and save marine wildlife.
"After 2 1/2 hours, even if you're wearing a respirator mask, goggles, gloves, and are fully protected, the fumes start to take a toll. You feel a headache, nausea, and start vomiting," Ksenia Vysotskaya, one of the volunteers working to clean up the Russian coast, told RFE/RL.
"I had to lie down for several hours afterward."
The vessels were were about 7 kilometers from the shore in the Kerch Strait between mainland Russia and Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, when they issued distress signals.
In 2007, the strait, which links the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea, saw the Volgoneft-139 tanker split in half during a storm while anchored nearby, spilling more than 1,000 tons of oil.
Greenpeace called on the Russian authorities "to take all efforts to mitigate or reduce environmental impact of the oil spill, and withdraw the navy ships, and stop militarization of the region, returning Crimea under rightful control of Ukraine."
Experts have warned the environmental impact of the accident "is very likely to be astronomical," with the potential cost of cleanup seen at more than $100 million.
Russia uses "shadow tankers" -- vessels that are not Western-owned or Western-insured, to skirt sanctions that prohibit it from selling oil and oil products at rates that exceed a set price cap, which varies for crude and different kinds of oil products.
Andriy Klymenko, project director at the Kyiv-based Institute of Strategic Black Sea Studies, wrote on Facebook that the vessels are "not seagoing vessels" but are river vessels that are permitted to travel in coastal waters.
According to Klymenko, neither of the tankers was authorized to sail in seas where waves are higher than 2.5 meters, while he said the waves in the Kerch Strait were reaching 3.5 meters on December 15.
Ukraine claims that for the first time one of its sea drones has downed a Russian military target in the air during a day of intense attacks by both sides as the war edges closer to its three-year anniversary.
Ukraine's military intelligence agency (GUR) said in a post on Telegram on December 31 that a Magura V5 sea drone equipped with missiles shot down an Mi-8 helicopter in a battle near Cape Tarkhankut on Crimea's west coast.
Another Russian helicopter, the GUR said, was hit by fire but managed to return to a Russian airfield.
"GUR soldiers destroyed an air target for the first time in the world using a Magura V5 naval drone," the intelligence agency said in the post, which had grainy video of what it said was evidence of the attack.
The video has not been independently verified.
The GUR claim came hours after air-raid sirens blared across Ukraine as Russia launched another countrywide massive air attack, with explosions heard in some parts of Kyiv.
Warnings were issued in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Poltava, Luhansk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhya, Kyiv, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, and Vinnytsya regions and local media said cruise and ballistic missiles launched in the attack.
The Kyiv military administration reported that three private buildings and two cars in the Darnitsky district were damaged by falling debris as air-defense systems repelled the Russian missile strikes. There were no casualties, according to the head of the administration, Serhiy Popko.
The head of the municipal administration in Shostka in the Sumy region, Mykola Noga, said 12 multistory residential buildings and two educational institutions were damaged, while several individual infrastructure facilities were destroyed.
No information on possible casualties was given.
A woman told RFE/RL at the scene that she and her husband ran into a hallway of their third-floor apartment after hearing explosions. She said they taped up a broken window before more explosions and damage occurred.
"We put a blanket [on the window], but it did not help," she said.
She described her home as "half intact" and said the wind is blowing through it. She and her husband planned to spend the night at their daughter's home.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the nation later in an address to mark the new year that Ukraine must fight in 2025 to bolster its position both militarily and ahead of any talks to end Russia's three year invasion.
"Every day in the coming year, I, and all of us, must fight for a Ukraine that is strong enough. Because only such a Ukraine is respected and heard both on the battlefield and at the negotiating table," he said in his address.
"May 2025 be our year," he added. "We know that peace will not be given to us as a gift, but we will do everything to stop Russia and end the war. This is what each of us wishes for."
Earlier on December 31, Ukrainian drones attacked an oil depot in Russia's Yartsevo district of the Smolensk region.
Smolensk regional Governor Vasily Anokhin said the fire was caused by falling debris when the drones were shot down.
"As a result, a fuel spill occurred and flammable materials began to ignite. There is no threat to residential buildings," he wrote on social media.
The new attacks come a day after the United States pledged additional security assistance for Ukraine to help strengthen its defenses along the front line.
The White House said in a statement on December 30 that the pledge includes an additional $1.25 billion drawdown package for the Ukrainian military and a $1.22 billion Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative package.
Hours later, the Treasury Department announced a separate $3.4 billion disbursement to Ukraine in direct budget support.
The announcements came as the White House ramps up support to the war-torn country before President Joe Biden's term ends next month.
Biden pledged to continue ratcheting up support, but the package is likely to be the last brought forth during his administration amid concerns that President-elect Donald Trump will significantly reduce or halt arms supplies to Ukraine in order to push Kyiv to negotiate a peace settlement with Russia.
Trump is scheduled to be inaugurated on January 20.
Russia has been pushing back Ukrainian troops on the front lines for weeks and claimed on December 29 to have seized another town in Ukraine's Donetsk region as it continues its long, bloody drive against the strategic -- but nearly destroyed -- southern logistics hub of Pokrovsk.
Russia's Defense Ministry said on December 30 that its forces captured Novotroyitske, a settlement with a prewar population 6,300 about 16 kilometers south of Pokrovsk.
The Ukrainian military did not comment specifically about Novotroyitske, but it said Russian troops had carried out 133 attacks on its positions, most of which were in the Pokrovsk area.
Analysts have speculated on what the Kremlin forces' next steps will be for the city, a strategic logistics hub for Kyiv.
The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said geolocation data suggested the Russian military was about 10 kilometers from the border of the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
"[Russian President Vladimir] Putin may be putting pressure on the Russian military command to advance to the border, and not to cover Pokrovsk at this time," it wrote.
In an interview with RFE/RL, Viktor Muzhenko, the former Ukrainian military commander, said any truce between Kyiv and Moscow that leaves swaths of Ukrainian territory under Russian control would represent a victory for the Kremlin and "fully compensate [it] for its costs of the war."
Muzhenko, who led the military from 2014-19, said the situation with the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and parts of Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions is "critical" -- "not only for the loss of territories, but also [the loss of] half of the resource base of Ukraine."
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said late on December 30 that during the day, some 153 combat clashes occurred on the front lines as Russia presses forward.
The ISW estimates territorial gains by the Russian army in 2024 reached about 3,300 square kilometers.
Counterattacks by Ukraine also took place in 2024, though only a few square kilometers of Ukrainian territory was recaptured.
The bulk of the Russian advances, it said, took place at the end of the year, when Russian troops captured 20 to 30 square kilometers per day, the ISW said.
Anna Netrebko has withdrawn from her planned role debut in Johann Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos at the Vienna State Opera, citing ill health earlier this month that limited her preparation.
“I am sad that I will not be interpreting this incredible new role but, because of the time unexpectedly lost, I am unable to prepare it to the standard I demand of myself," Netrebko said in a statement.
“I am sorry to disappoint everyone who planned on attending. Since beginning to study the role of Ariadne, I have fallen in love with it and looked forward to debuting it,” she said.
The star soprano will be replaced by Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen in four performances scheduled to take place in late January.
Netrebko said in her statement that she was grateful to Davidson for stepping in and wished her “all my best,” adding that she and Vienna State Opera director Bogdan Roscic were working to find another time for her to sing the Strauss opera in Vienna.
Netrebko's next scheduled performance is a recital in Palm Beach, Florida, on February 3, 2025, which will be her first U.S. appearance since 2019.
Netrebko has fallen out with U.S. opera houses since she was dropped from future performances by the Metropolitan Opera in New York shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Met general manager Peter Gelb had demanded she publicly distance herself from President Vladimir Putin in the wake of the invasion.
Netrebko condemned the war in a statement on Facebook and said her thoughts were with the victims of the war and their families. She added that she was "not a member of any political party, nor am I allied with any leader of Russia.”
Her concert in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk in June 2022 was subsequently canceled. The theater accused Netrebko of choosing European stages over her "Motherland's fate" by making the statement.
Netrebko last year sued the Metropolitan Opera in New York and Gelb alleging defamation, breach of contract, and other violations related to the opera’s decision to drop her.
Netrebko claimed in the lawsuit that the opera house caused “severe mental anguish and emotional distress” that included “depression, humiliation, embarrassment, stress and anxiety, and emotional pain and suffering.”
A U.S. judge in August dismissed most of Netrebko’s allegations but agreed to allow her gender discrimination claim to proceed.
Netrebko’s manager, Miguel Esteban, said in a statement at the time that the lawsuit was still important.
“Anna Netrebko remains fully committed to pursuing this complaint, to vindicating her rights, to restoring her reputation and to demonstrating that the Metropolitan Opera and Peter Gelb treated her unlawfully,” Esteban said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 30 signed a decree transferring shares of the foreign brewing company AB InBev Efes Russia to the temporary management of the Russia’s Vmeste group of companies.
The move places all the shares of AB InBev Efes Russia, a joint venture between the Belgian brewer and Anadolu Efes of Turkey that launched in 2018, under the temporary control of the Vmeste group, created in August.
The decree also upends the brewer’s plans to exit the country through a deal with Anadolu Efes.
Anadolu Efes and AB InBev agreed in October to swap stakes in their businesses in Russia and Ukraine. Under the deal, the Turkish brewer would become the sole owner of the Russian business, while AB InBev would acquire the Ukrainian unit. AB InBev had previously wanted to sell control of both operations to Anadolu Efes, but Russia objected to that plan, according to Bloomberg.
After Moscow’s latest intervention, it isn’t clear whether AB InBev will eventually be able to fully exit the country as other Western companies have done.
Also unclear is the status of the Ukrainian part of the deal, which was conditional on regulatory approvals, including from the Kremlin, Bloomberg said.
AB InBev Efes produces major brands in Russia, including Bud, Bud Alcohol Free, Spaten, Efes Pilsener, Velkopopovický Kozel, and Hoegaarden. The company also controls 11 breweries in Russia, including operations in Vladivostok, Volzhsky, Kazan, Novosibirsk, Omsk and Ufa.
Putin has been able to place companies in temporary management under a decree published in April 2023. It grants the manager full control of the assets except for the ability to dispose of them.
Since many multinational companies began leaving Russia, the country has made it harder for them to exit using tactics such as seizing subsidiaries and requiring companies to sell far below their estimated value.
AB InBev Efes was the last of the three largest foreign beer producers still in the Russian market. The other two -- Dutch company Heineken and the Danish brewery Carlsberg -- said in March 2022 they would sell their businesses in Russia, both citing the war.
Heineken sold all its assets by August 2023. Around the same time Carlsberg Group was transferred to temporary management.
Putin in early December removed Carlsberg's assets from temporary management after and the company announced the sale of its assets in Russia, including the brewing company Baltika.
A court in Belgrade has jailed the parents of a 13-year-old boy who last year shot and killed nine students and a security guard at an elementary school.
The Higher Court on December 30 announced a 14-year sentence against Vladimir Kecmanovic, father of the shooter in the May 2023 attack, and a three-year sentence against Miljana Kecmanovic, the shooter’s mother.
The Higher Court also sentenced shooting range instructor Nemanja Marinkovic to one year and three months in prison.
Vladimir Kecmanovic was convicted of a serious crime against public safety and neglect and abuse of a minor. He has been accused of training his 13-year-old son to handle firearms and failing to provide proper storage conditions for the weapons the boy used in committing the crime.
Miljana Kecmanovic was sentenced for neglecting a minor. Marinkovic was found guilty of giving false testimony.
Chief public prosecutor Nenad Stefanovic said he was satisfied with the court's decision, though it cannot compensate for the tragic consequences of the crime.
Defense attorneys for the parents and the instructor at the shooting range also announced their intention to appeal.
"This verdict was expected due to the enormous public pressure during this criminal trial. We are still convinced that the prosecution failed to prove the allegations in the indictment," said Irina Borovic, the lawyer representing the parents of the shooter.
No criminal proceedings are being pursued against the student who carried out the mass murder because of his age. He has been in a psychiatric hospital since the shooting.
The student was questioned during the trial, and the indictment against his parents was later expanded to include charges of neglect and abuse of a minor.
Vladimir Kecmanovic remains in detention, while a restraining order has been placed on Miljana Kecmanovic, prohibiting her from approaching or communicating with her son.
The trial concluded after 11 months, and it was closed to the public at the request of the prosecution to protect the minor involved.
According to the prosecution, the 13-year-old used his father's gun when he opened fire during the first period on May 3, 2023, killing nine students and school guard and injuring five other students and the teacher.
Serbia was rocked by the shooting only to suffer a similar tragedy one day later. In that case 21-year-old Uros Blazic used an automatic weapon to kill nine young people in villages near Belgrade.
Blazic was sentenced on December 12 to the maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. His father, Radisa Blazic, was also sentenced to 20 years for possessing illegal weapons used by his son to carry out the crime.
In response to the mass shootings, the government implemented a series of measures, including disarming the population, forming the Council for the Fight Against Peer Violence, ordering increased police presence in schools, and boosting the involvement of child psychologists.
Earlier this year in the United States, the parents of a 15-year-old school attacker became the first parents convicted in a mass school shooting in the country. Jennifer and James Crumbley in April were sentenced to at least 10 years in prison in their home state of Michigan.
They were accused of not securing a gun at home and acting indifferently to signs of their son’s deteriorating mental health. Their son, Ethan Crumbley, pleaded guilty and is serving a life sentence for killing four classmates in 2021.
Russia and Ukraine have conducted another prisoner swap brokered by the United Arab Emirates, freeing hundreds of prisoners of war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed the exchange in a post on Telegram announcing that 189 Ukrainians returned home as a result of the action.
“These are the...defenders of Azovstal and Mariupol, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Zmiiniy Island, from different directions of the front,” Zelenskiy said. “Among them are soldiers, sergeants, officers.”
Two civilians who were captured in Mariupol also were among those released, Zelenskiy said. In the post, which included photos of smiling soldiers seated on a bus, he added that Ukraine continues working to free all those held in Russian captivity.
The Russian Defense Ministry also announced the prisoner exchange, saying the number released was 150 on each side. There was no explanation for the discrepancy.
"On 30 December, as a result of the negotiation process, 150 Russian servicemen were returned from territory controlled by the Kyiv regime. In return, 150 Ukrainian army prisoners of war were handed over," a ministry statement said.
The statement said the 150 Russian soldiers had been evacuated to Belarus, where they were receiving medical and psychological assistance and were given the opportunity to contact their relatives.
"All released servicemen will be delivered to the Russian Federation for treatment and rehabilitation in medical institutions of the Russian Ministry of Defense,” the statement added, noting the U.A.E. assistance in providing humanitarian efforts during the return of the POWs.
Russia and Ukraine have conducted 59 POW exchanges since the beginning of the full-scale war.
Fighting on December 30 included 104 combat clashes at the front on December 30 through 4:00 p.m. local time, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian military. More than half of the battles took place in the areas around Pokrovsk, Kurakhiv, and Vremovskiy.
In the Russian-occupied Kherson region of Ukraine, the Kremlin-installed governor said a Ukrainian strike hit a hospital, killing a doctor and wounding another.
Russian-installed Governor Vladimir Saldo accused Ukraine's Western military backers of participating in the attack, which occurred in the Russian-held town of Oleshkiy.
Deputy chief physician Vasily Borisov was killed in the attack, while chief physician Vladimir Kharlan was injured by shrapnel, Saldo said on Telegram.
Images published by Saldo showed the facade of a building with its windows blown out, while another showed a room cluttered with damaged furniture.
Kyiv did not immediately comment but denies targeting civilians in Russian-held areas.
Finland said drag marks from an anchor have been found on the Baltic Sea floor in an area where several power and data cables were damaged, which authorities suspect was caused by a vessel linked to Russia's "shadow fleet."
"Our current understanding is that the drag mark in question is that of the anchor of the (seized) Eagle S vessel. We have been able to clarify this matter through underwater research," said Sami Paila, the chief investigator for Finnish police in the case.
He added that the trail created by the anchor ran "dozens" of kilometers.
Finland seized the Eagle S on December 26, citing suspicions that it caused an outage of the Estlink 2 undersea power cable and damaged four Internet lines. Finnish investigators said the ship may have caused the damage by dragging its anchor along the sea floor.
Finnish and EU officials say the Eagle S is believed to belong to a "shadow fleet" of old, uninsured oil vessels used to bypass Western sanctions and maintain a source of revenue for Russia's economy and its war against Ukraine.
The poor condition of these ships has also raised concerns about environmental disasters.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has described the suspected sabotage of a Baltic Sea power cable as a "wake-up call" for the West and urged the European Union to impose new sanctions targeting Russia's "shadow fleet."
Kaja Kallas, a former Estonian prime minister who is now the EU's top diplomat, said on December 30 that "sabotage in Europe has increased" since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In an interview with the German newspaper Welt, she said recent "sabotage attempts in the Baltic Sea are not isolated incidents" but "part of a pattern of deliberate and coordinated actions to damage our digital and energy infrastructure."
Though the investigation continues, a media outlet focusing on shipping news and intelligence reported that the ship suspected of damaging the cable linking Finland and Estonia on December 25 was equipped with "special transmitting and receiving devices that were used to monitor naval activity."
The Eagle S "had transmitting and receiving devices installed that effectively allowed it to become a 'spy ship' for Russia," Lloyd's List reported on December 27, citing "a source familiar with the vessel who provided commercial maritime services to it as recently as seven months ago."
Baerbock has reiterated the need for "new European sanctions against the Russian shadow fleet," which she said is "a major threat to our environment and security" used by Russia "to finance its war of aggression in Ukraine."
"Almost every month, ships are damaging major undersea cables in the Baltic Sea," Baerbock said in a statement to the Funke media group.
"Crews are leaving anchors in the water, dragging them for kilometers along the seafloor for no apparent reason, and then losing them when pulling them up."
"It's more than difficult to still believe in coincidences," she said. "This is an urgent wake-up call for all of us."
Thirteen people including a former government minister have been indicted over the deadly collapse of a train station roof last month in Novi Sad that sparked massive protests, turning up the heat on the government.
Former Transport Minister Goran Vesic and the former director of Serbian Railway Infrastructure, Jelena Tanaskovic, were among those named in the indictment, handed down by the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad on December 30.
"The indictment was submitted to the Higher Court in Novi Sad, accompanied by the complete documentation collected during the pre-investigation and investigation process, as well as all other evidence," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
Thousands have taken to the streets to demand accountability for the collapse of a canopy at the train station in Novi Sad that killed 15 people.
Some of the protests have been marred by violence.
The organizers of a massive student demonstration on December 22 demanded the government identify and prosecute the people who allegedly attacked demonstrators during previous protests over the accident.
The organizers also called for the release of activists detained during earlier protests and an end to legal proceedings against them.
The collapse of the canopy has turned into a political headache for President Aleksandar Vucic as more than 50 academic faculties at four state universities, the offices of several university rectors, and dozens of high schools remain blocked in solidarity with the protests.
Students also have taken part in daily protests in which traffic stops for 15 minutes in cities across Serbia.
The accident occurred after the railway station had been renovated twice in recent years by a Chinese-led consortium of four companies. Serbian Railways insisted that the renovation didn’t include the concrete overhang, but some experts disputed that.
Those indicted face up to 12 years in prison if they are found guilty of charges of committing criminal acts against public security, endangering the public, and irregular construction work.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said additional U.S. security assistance for Ukraine announced on December 30 comes at a critical moment and will help strengthen Ukrainian defenses along the front line.
"Every act of solidarity from our partners saves lives, strengthens our independence, and reinforces our resilience. It also demonstrates that democracies are stronger than autocratic aggressors," Zelenskiy said on X after the United States announced $5.9 billion in a three-pronged aid package.
The White House said in a statement on December 30 that the pledge includes an additional $1.25 billion drawdown package for the Ukrainian military and a $1.22 billion Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative package.
Hours later, the Treasury Department announced a separate $3.4 billion disbursement to Ukraine in direct budget support.
The announcements came as the White House ramps up support to the war-torn country before President Joe Biden's term ends next month.
"I've directed my Administration to continue surging as much assistance to Ukraine as quickly as possible -- including drawing down older U.S. equipment for Ukraine, rapidly delivering it to the battlefield, and then revitalizing the U.S. defense industrial base to modernize and replenish our stockpiles with new weapons," Biden said in the White House statement.
"At my direction, the United States will continue to work relentlessly to strengthen Ukraine's position in this war over the remainder of my time in office," Biden added.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen added in a separate statement: "Our direct budget support to Ukraine arrives at a critical time as Russia intensifies its attacks on Ukrainian civilians and critical infrastructure."
"Economic assistance from the United States and our allies is crucial for Ukraine’s ability to defend its sovereignty and achieve a just peace by maintaining the critical government services that underpin its brave fight," she said in the statement.
Despite Biden's pledge to continue ratcheting up support, the package is likely to be the last brought forth during his administration amid concerns that President-elect Donald Trump will significantly reduce or halt arms supplies to Ukraine in order to push Kyiv to negotiate a peace settlement with Russia.
Trump is scheduled to be inaugurated on January 20.
Russia has been pushing back Ukrainian troops on the front lines for weeks and claimed on December 29 to have seized another town in Ukraine's Donetsk region as it continues its long, bloody drive against the strategic -- but nearly destroyed -- southern logistics hub of Pokrovsk.
Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces captured Novotroyitske, a settlement with a prewar population 6,300 about 16 kilometers south of Pokrovsk.
The Ukrainian military did not comment specifically about Novotroyitske, but it said Russian troops had carried out 133 attacks on its positions, most of which were in the Pokrovsk area.
Analysts have speculated on what the Kremlin forces' next steps will be for the city, a strategic logistics hub for Kyiv.
The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said geolocation data suggested the Russian military was about 10 kilometers from the border of the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
"[Russian President Vladimir] Putin may be putting pressure on the Russian military command to advance to the border, and not to cover Pokrovsk at this time," it wrote.
In an interview with RFE/RL, Viktor Muzhenko, the former Ukrainian military commander, said any truce between Kyiv and Moscow that leaves swaths of Ukrainian territory under Russian control would represent a victory for the Kremlin and "fully compensate [it] for its costs of the war."
Muzhenko, who led the military from 2014-19, said the situation with the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and parts of Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions is "critical" -- "not only for the loss of territories, but also [the loss of] half of the resource base of Ukraine."
The announcement of the new support from Washington comes on the heels of an announcement by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on December 29 that Kyiv had received an additional 150 million euros ($156 million) in aid from Denmark, France, and Lithuania to help finance the country's defense industry.
"These funds, in particular, will be used for the production of missiles, deep-strike drones and artillery installations," he said in a Facebook post.
Meanwhile, outgoing German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said she does not expect the next government in Berlin to "abandon" Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
"No German government devoted to the security of Germany and Europe will abandon the people of Ukraine," she said in an interview published by Bild newspaper on December 29.
Germany will vote on February 23, a day after the anniversary of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion. after a coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz collapsed last month.
Berlin trails only Washington in the amount of support provided to Ukraine, although Scholz has been reluctant to send heavy weaponry to Kyiv, often angering the Ukrainian leadership.
Addressing worries that Trump may push a peace deal detrimental to Kyiv following his inauguration, Baerbock underlined the importance of providing for Ukraine's security needs in any such agreements.
"Only reliable, long-term and, above all, truly sustainable security guarantees will prevent Putin from resorting to further campaigns of conquest. Only then will there be lasting peace and stability in Ukraine," she told Bild, without being specific.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, whose presidency was marred by the 444-day Iran hostage crisis, has died at age 100 after receiving hospice care for almost two years.
"Jimmy Carter, 39th president of the United States and winner of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, died peacefully Sunday, December 29, at his home in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by his family," the Carter Center in his home state of Georgia said in a statement.
U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement that "America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman, and humanitarian."
Biden declared January 9, the day Carter's funeral will be held in Washington, D.C., as a national day of mourning.
Though his presidency was marked by his failure to rein in rampant inflation, revive the economy, and his inability to free dozens of Americans held captive at an embassy in the Iranian capital, Tehran, his life after office was celebrated for his humanitarian work around the world.
"God gives us the capacity for choice. We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace. We can make these changes -- and we must," Carter said in his speech upon accepting the Nobel Peace Prize. He was the first former U.S. president to win the award.
Former President Barack Obama praised Carter's "decency," saying in a tribute the onetime peanut farmer who was raised in poverty "taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service."
President-elect Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that "the challenges Jimmy faced as president came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans."
The iconic Empire State Building in New York City was lit up in red, white, and blue to honor Carter.
Carter, a one-term leader, is remembered for having brokered a peace deal between Israel and Egypt and later received the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work and efforts to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts.
But it was the Iranian hostage crisis that would come to define Carter's presidency from 1977 to 1981.
The Islamic Revolution in 1979 toppled the U.S.-backed shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and brought to power a group of clerics led by exiled Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Carter granted the ailing shah political asylum, to the anger of many Iranians.
In late 1979, a group of hard-line Iranian students who were believed to have had the tacit support of Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans hostage. They demanded the return of the shah and an apology for past actions by the United States in Iran.
Carter said the United States could not give in to the hostage-takers, and the crisis dragged on for over a year.
"It's vital to the United States and to every other nation that the lives of diplomatic personnel and other citizens abroad be protected, and that we refuse to permit the use of terrorism, and the seizure and the holding of hostages, to impose political demands,” he said.
“No one should underestimate the resolve of the American government and the American people in this matter."
With negotiations with the Iranians proving fruitless, Carter ordered U.S. Special Forces to try to rescue the American hostages in April 1980. The mission ended in disaster, and eight U.S. soldiers died in an accident caused by equipment failure.
Carter announced the failed rescue mission to the nation: "I share the disappointment of the American people that this rescue mission was not successful. And I also share the grief of our nation because we had Americans who were casualties in this effort to seek freedom for their fellow citizens who have been held hostage for so long.
"But I also share a deep pride in the commitment and courage and the integrity and the competence and determination of those who went on this mission."
The Iranian hostage crisis -- and Carter's inability to resolve it -- dominated the news in the United States throughout 1980, a presidential election year.
He was easily defeated in his reelection bid by Ronald Reagan, a former Hollywood actor who had energized the Republican party with his smooth appearance and supply-side economic policies.
In a final insult to Carter, Iran decided to release the hostages on January 20, 1981, the day Carter left office and Reagan was inaugurated as president.
One of Carter's first goals after becoming president was to work on a second Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, known as SALT II, with the Soviet Union. The treaty was designed to further limit the number of nuclear weapons held by both countries.
Negotiating the treaty with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev was difficult because of Carter's persistent criticism of Moscow's human rights record. But in June 1979 the two leaders signed SALT II. The U.S. Senate did not ratify the treaty following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979, but its terms were honored by both sides.
In response to the Soviet invasion, the president announced what came to be known as the Carter Doctrine -- that the United States would defend its interests in the Persian Gulf with military force if necessary. The United States also boycotted the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow.
"I have given notice that the United States will not attend the Moscow Olympics unless the Soviet invasion forces are withdrawn from Afghanistan before February 20,” said Carter at the time. “That deadline is tomorrow, and it will not be changed."
Though his term in office is often characterized as a failure, Carter's presidency had its share of triumphs.
He established an effective national energy policy and encouraged the creation of 8 million new jobs, although at the cost of high inflation. He also improved the operation of the U.S. federal government through reform of the civil service.
Carter's greatest achievement as U.S. president was the 1978 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, brokered at the Camp David presidential retreat. Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts.
Carter's wife, Rosalynn, died in November 2023, at age 96.
U.S. President Jimmy Carter's Democratic presidency was marred by the 444-day Iran hostage crisis but he was hailed as a humanitarian figure later in life, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Carter died at age 100 on December 29.
Here is a roundup of reactions from leaders around the world following news of his death.
U.S. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: “America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian.
“Over six decades, we had the honor of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. But, what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well. “
U.S. PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP: “The challenges Jimmy faced as president came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”
FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: "Elected in the shadow of Watergate, Jimmy Carter promised voters that he would always tell the truth. And he did — advocating for the public good, consequences be damned. He believed some things were more important than reelection — things like integrity, respect, and compassion.
"Because Jimmy Carter believed, as deeply as he believed anything, that we are all created in God’s image."
FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Carter's legacy will "inspire Americans for generations [and he] set an example of service that will inspire Americans for generations.
"He was loyal to his family, his community, and his country. President Carter dignified the office."
FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON: "From his commitment to civil rights as a state senator and governor of Georgia; to his efforts as president to protect our natural resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, make energy conservation a national priority, return the Panama Canal to Panama, and secure peace between Egypt and Israel at Camp David; to his post-Presidential efforts at the Carter Center supporting honest elections, advancing peace, combating disease, and promoting democracy; to his and Rosalynn’s devotion and hard work at Habitat for Humanity—he worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world."
FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON: "Throughout his life, Jimmy Carter has been a steadfast advocate for the rights of the most vulnerable and has tirelessly fought for peace. France sends its heartfelt thoughts to his family and to the American people."
BRITISH PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER: "I would like to pay tribute to his decades of selfless public service.
"His presidency will be remembered for the historic Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt, and it was that lifelong dedication to peace that saw him receive the Nobel Peace prize.
"Motivated by his strong faith and values, President Carter redefined the post-presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad."
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: “Jimmy Carter, former US president who was committed to human rights, has died. He was 100 years old.
"Carter set a powerful example for world leaders to make human rights a priority, and he continued to fight for human rights after he left office.”
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION CHIEF TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS: "His unwavering commitment to people's wellbeing in the United States and around the world will be remembered forever.
"His work through the Carter Center has saved countless lives and helped bring many neglected tropical diseases close to elimination."
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, whose presidency was marred by the 444-day Iran hostage crisis, has died at age 100.
"Jimmy Carter, 39th president of the United States and winner of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, died peacefully Sunday, December 29, at his home in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by his family," the Carter Center in his home state of Georgia said in a statement.
U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement that “America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian.”
Biden said he will order a state funeral to be held in Washington, D.C., although he did not set a date as of yet.
President-elect Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that “the challenges Jimmy faced as president came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans.”
“For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”
Human Rights Watch said in a statement that "Carter set a powerful example for world leaders to make human rights a priority, and he continued to fight for human rights after he left office."
The iconic Empire State Building in New York City was lit up in red, white, and blue to honor Carter.
Carter, a one-term leader, is also remembered for having brokered a peace deal between Israel and Egypt and later received the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work and efforts to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts.
But it was the Iranian hostage crisis that would come to define Carter's presidency from 1977 to 1981.
The Islamic Revolution in 1979 toppled the U.S.-backed shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and brought to power a group of clerics led by exiled Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Carter granted the ailing shah political asylum, to the anger of many Iranians.
In late 1979, a group of hardline Iranian students who were believed to have had the tacit support of Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans hostage. They demanded the return of the shah and an apology for past actions by the United States in Iran.
Carter said the United States could not give in to the hostage-takers, and the crisis dragged on for over a year.
"It's vital to the United States and to every other nation that the lives of diplomatic personnel and other citizens abroad be protected, and that we refuse to permit the use of terrorism, and the seizure and the holding of hostages, to impose political demands,” he said.
“No one should underestimate the resolve of the American government and the American people in this matter."
With negotiations with the Iranians proving fruitless, Carter ordered U.S. Special Forces to try to rescue the American hostages in April 1980. The mission ended in disaster, and eight U.S. soldiers died in an accident caused by equipment failure.
Carter announced the failed rescue mission to the nation: "I share the disappointment of the American people that this rescue mission was not successful. And I also share the grief of our nation because we had Americans who were casualties in this effort to seek freedom for their fellow citizens who have been held hostage for so long. But I also share a deep pride in the commitment and courage and the integrity and the competence and determination of those who went on this mission."
The Iranian hostage crisis -- and Carter's inability to resolve it -- dominated the news in the United States throughout 1980, a presidential election year.
He was easily defeated in his reelection bid by Ronald Reagan, a former Hollywood actor who had energized the Republican party with his smooth appearance and supply-side economic policies.
In a final insult to Carter, Iran decided to release the hostages on January 20, 1981, the day Carter left office and Reagan was inaugurated as president.
One of Carter's first goals after becoming president was to work on a second Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, known as SALT II, with the Soviet Union. The treaty was designed to further limit the number of nuclear weapons held by both countries.
Negotiating the treaty with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev was difficult because of Carter's persistent criticism of Moscow's human rights record. But in June 1979 the two leaders signed SALT II. The U.S. Senate did not ratify the treaty following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979, but its terms were honored by both sides.
In response to the Soviet invasion, the president announced what came to be known as the Carter Doctrine -- that the United States would defend its interests in the Persian Gulf with military force if necessary. The United States also boycotted the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow.
"I have given notice that the United States will not attend the Moscow Olympics unless the Soviet invasion forces are withdrawn from Afghanistan before February 20,” said Carter at the time. “That deadline is tomorrow, and it will not be changed."
Though his term in office is often characterized as a failure, Carter's presidency had its share of triumphs.
He established an effective national energy policy and encouraged the creation of 8 million new jobs, although at the cost of high inflation. He also improved the operation of the U.S. federal government through reform of the civil service.
Carter's greatest achievement as U.S. president was the 1978 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, brokered at the Camp David presidential retreat. Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts.
Carter's wife, Rosalynn, died in November 2023, at age 96.
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