VOA Russian: Collapse of Kremlin's strategy of gas blackmail against Europe 

FILE - A worker adjusts a valve at a Ukrainian gas station in Volovets, western Ukraine, Oct. 7, 2015.

A major natural gas pipeline supplying Russian energy to Europe ran dry Wednesday after Ukraine stopped Moscow’s six-decade supply in the hopes of hurting Russia financially. The planned move marks the end of an era in which many European countries kept warm using gas pumped by Russia. Ukraine is losing up to $1 billion a year in transit fees it charged Russia to use its pipeline. That’s less than the $5 billion Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned energy giant, is set to lose annually in gas sales. VOA correspondent Victor Vasilyev talked to regional experts about these topics.