MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine are set to end on New Year's Day, bringing down the curtain on Moscow's long period of dominance of supply in the European gas market. Russia's oldest gas export route to Europe - a pipeline dating back to Soviet days - was set to shut at the end of 2024,

Russian gas flows through Ukraine are set to stop on Wednesday when a transit deal between the two countries expires in the wake of Moscow’s full-scale invasion. The pipeline was one of the last two routes still carrying Russian gas to Europe nearly three years into the full-scale war.

Ukraine's decision to turn off the taps keeping Russian gas flowing via its territory to Europe has already sown trouble in the continent's east, with Moldova declaring a state of emergency and Slovakia threatening Kyiv with retaliation.

Russia pumped gas on Monday to European customers via Ukraine for one of the last days before a key transit deal expires at the end of the year, marking the almost complete loss of Russia's once mighty hold over the European gas market.

European infrastructure allows for the flow of gas from other countries, a European Commission representative said.

MOSCOW >> Russian energy company Gazprom said it would pump a reduced volume of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Tuesday, the last day before the expiry of a deal that had kept the gas flowing throughout nearly three years of war.