Russian President Vladimir Putin used his annual New Year’s Eve address on Wednesday, December 31, to urge Russians to believe in victory in Ukraine, as the country marked the holiday for a fourth consecutive year under the shadow of war. The tightly scripted speech, lasting just over three minutes, focused heavily on Russia’s armed forces and avoided reference to recent diplomatic tensions or security incidents involving the Kremlin.
Delivering his address against a backdrop of flags and national symbols, Putin praised what he called the courage and resolve of Russian troops fighting in Ukraine. Addressing soldiers and commanders directly, he described them as “heroes” and told them, “We believe in you and our victory.” As in previous wartime speeches, the president framed the conflict as a historic struggle requiring unity, sacrifice and faith in the country’s armed forces.
Putin’s remarks capped a year marked by steady Russian battlefield advances in eastern and southern Ukraine, alongside mounting casualties on both sides. While Moscow has made incremental territorial gains, the fighting has come at a high human cost. Russia currently occupies around one-fifth of Ukraine, territory it has formally proclaimed as Russian despite international rejection of the claims.
Notably absent from Putin’s speech was any mention of a controversial claim made by Moscow earlier this week that Ukraine had launched a drone attack targeting one of the Russian leader’s residences. The Kremlin accused Kyiv of firing dozens of drones toward Putin’s lakeside home in the Novgorod region, located between Moscow and Saint Petersburg, on the night of December 28. Ukraine has dismissed the allegation as fabricated, accusing Russia of inventing the incident to influence ongoing diplomatic efforts.
On Wednesday, Russian authorities released nighttime footage showing what they said was a damaged Ukrainian drone lying in the snow in a forested area. The defence ministry described the alleged strike as a “targeted, carefully planned and staged” attack, characterising it as both a “terrorist act” and a “personal attack” against the president. Moscow warned the incident would harden its position in any future negotiations over Ukraine.
Independent analysts, however, questioned the Kremlin’s account. The US-based Institute for the Study of War said it had not seen evidence typically associated with Ukrainian long-range strikes to corroborate Russia’s claims that Putin’s residence had been threatened. The Kremlin has not disclosed where Putin was at the time of the alleged attack, and the Russian leader has not commented publicly on the incident. Details about Putin’s residences and private movements remain closely guarded state secrets.
The alleged drone attack came as diplomatic efforts to end the nearly three-year-old war showed renewed momentum. US special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Wednesday that he had spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European security advisers about restarting peace efforts in the new year, adding that “important work” lay ahead. Zelenskyy is expected to attend a January 6 summit in France with key allies, following talks with US President Donald Trump in Florida.
Despite these diplomatic signals, Moscow has shown no indication of retreating from its maximalist demands. Putin has repeatedly said Russia will seek to seize all Ukrainian territory it claims by force if negotiations fail. The European Union accused Russia on Wednesday of attempting to derail talks by publicising the alleged drone attack, calling the move provocative and destabilising.
Meanwhile, the war continues to take a heavy toll on Ukrainian civilians. Russia has maintained an almost daily barrage of missiles and drones across Ukraine, killing thousands and displacing millions. In Vyshgorod, a town outside Kyiv, residents told that repeated Russian strikes had left them without power for days, turning daily life into what one resident described as “hell.”
As Russians welcomed the New Year, Putin’s brief address underscored the Kremlin’s message of resolve and endurance, even as the conflict grinds on with no clear end in sight.
