Since January 1, 2025, Ukraine has stopped transporting Russian gas, there is a shortage of energy resources in Transnistria, Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed a military ombudsman, and 189 Ukrainians have returned home from captivity.
Babel has collected the main news of the week to keep you up to date.
Ukraine officially halts Russian gas transit
At 7:00 a.m. on January 1, 2025, the transportation of Russian natural gas through the territory of Ukraine was stopped in the interests of national security. The head of the Ministry of Energy Herman Halushchenko explained that Kyiv informed international partners about this in accordance with the established procedure.
"This is a historic event. Russia is losing markets, it will suffer financial losses. Europe has already made a decision to abandon Russian gas. And the European initiative Repower EU provides for exactly what Ukraine has done today," said Halushchenko.
Fico threatens to limit aid to Ukrainians in Slovakia due to halting gas transit from Russia
According to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, President Volodymyr Zelensky has allegedly “begun to sabotage Slovakia’s public finances and harm the financial interests of the entire European Union.” The gas transit halt will cost Slovakia €500 million a year, Fico said.
The state electricity grid operator of Slovakia SEPS assured that despite the political threats, it will continue to supply electricity to Ukraine if emergency assistance is needed.
Arrest warrant issued for South Korean President Yoon Seok Yeol
A South Korean court has issued an arrest warrant for ousted President Yoon Seok Yeol for imposing a short-term martial law on December 3. The politician has been under investigation for sedition and treason, and has ignored three summonses for questioning.
On January 3, presidential guards and the military prevented the execution of the warrant, so the Office for the Investigation of Corruption among High-ranking Officials suspended the arrest. The standoff lasted five hours.
Large prisoner exchange with Russia — 189 Ukrainians return home
On December 30, Ukraine held the 11th prisoner exchange with Russia in 2024 — 189 Ukrainians returned home. The Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War specified that the following were released from captivity:
- 87 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (17 of them from Territorial Defense Forces);
- 43 National Guard servicemen;
- 33 border guards;
- 24 Navy soldiers.
Two civilians also returned from captivity.
Energy shortage in Transnistria
Ukraine has stopped the transit of Russian gas, which was received by several EU countries and the unrecognized Transnistria. At the same time, Moldova did not agree to Russiaʼs demands to continue gas supplies to Transnistria via an alternative route — through the Balkans. Therefore, on December 28, 2024, “Gazprom” officially announced that it would stop supplying gas to Transnistria from January due to "non-fulfillment of payment obligations".
In Transnistria, the supply of heat and hot water to residential buildings has been cut off. In high-rise buildings, gas is available only for cooking. It is supplied from reserves in the gas pipeline system, but only until the pressure in the network drops to a critical level. There are no outages in hospitals and social institutions so far.
Industrial enterprises also suspended operations on January 2 due to a shortage of energy resources. On January 3, they introduced widespread power outages due to excessive energy consumption. The duration of the outages is increasing.
Zelensky appointed Olha Reshetylova as military ombudsman
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Olha Reshetylova as Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of Military Personnel and Family Members of Ukrainian Soldiers.
"The main task now is to prepare, together with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and civil society, a draft law on the military ombudsman and all the necessary systemic foundations for the work of this institution," the president noted.
Zelensky stressed that Ukrainian soldiers must receive effective tools to protect their rights, and the system of managing people in the army must be modernized.
Ukraine became a full party to the Rome Statute of ICC
Ukraine became the 125th state party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
By becoming a full member of the Rome Statute of ICC, Ukraine gained the opportunity to participate in the Assembly of States Parties of ICC, submit issues for its consideration, vote on the distribution of the ICC budget, participate in the elections of judges and other elected officials, in particular the ICC Prosecutor, influence the priorities of ICC and the development of amendments to the Rome Statute.
In January 2025, the MSEC was liquidated in Ukraine
At the end of December 2024, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law on the liquidation of Medical and Social Expert Commissions (MSEC) from January 1, 2025.
Now the functions of MSEC will be performed by expert commissions formed in cluster and supracluster hospitals. And instead of the concept of "medical and social expertise", the term "assessment of everyday human functioning" will appear.
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