President Vladimir Putin declared during his New Year’s address that Russia believes it will win in Ukraine, while engaged in nearly four years of conflict.
“We believe in you and our victory,” Putin told Russian soldiers, whom he called “heroes,” in his remarks.
The address coincided with the 26th anniversary of Putin’s rise to power.
Human toll in Russia-Ukraine war
The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has inflicted a severe human cost, with military deaths on both sides estimated in the tens or even hundreds of thousands.
Russia currently occupies about a fifth of Ukraine, carrying out almost daily missile and drone attacks that have killed thousands of civilians and displaced millions.
In Vyshgorod, a town outside Kyiv, residents who were left without power for several days due to Russian strikes described the conditions as making life “hell,” AFP reported.
Drone attack on Putin’s residence
Earlier this week, Russia claimed that Ukrainian drones targeted one of Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region, between Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Moscow released video of a drone lying damaged in the snow and described the incident as a “terrorist attack” that was “targeted, carefully planned and carried out in stages.”
Kyiv denied the claim, calling it a “fabrication” intended to manipulate the peace process.
The Kremlin stated that Putin had informed US President Donald Trump about the incident in a phone call, but the Russian President has not publicly commented on the alleged attack.
Peace talks and diplomatic tensions
The alleged drone attack comes amid intensified US-led diplomacy to end Europe’s worst conflict since World War II. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend a summit in France on January 6 following talks with Trump in Florida.
Despite these efforts, Russia has repeatedly signaled it will seize the rest of the Ukrainian territory it claims if negotiations fail.
The European Union criticized Moscow’s residence attack claim, accusing it of attempting to “derail” peace negotiations.
Ongoing crisis in Ukraine
Russian strikes have targeted energy and civilian infrastructure, leaving Ukrainians to endure days-long power cuts in freezing temperatures.
As the conflict continues, Moscow has strengthened its military rhetoric, maintaining that negotiations will only succeed if Ukraine meets maximalist Russian demands.
(With AFP inputs)
