With soaring inflation and the ruble dropping to one of its lowest levels against the dollar since President Vladimir Putin launched his war in Ukraine, this year Russians will have to pay more for the dish, which is traditionally served alongside caviar and tangerines, before the New Year is toasted in.

Russian natural gas exports via Soviet-era pipelines running through Ukraine to Europe were halted in the early hours of Wednesday as a transit deal expired. Ukraine now faces the loss of some $800 million a year in transit fees from Russia,

On Monday, the Russian authorities accused Ukrainian armed forces of targeting a hospital in the Olechki district of Russian-occupied Kherson.