Overview
- In his Kremlin address, Vladimir Putin urged Russians to support participants in the operation, said the country believes in them and in victory, and wished citizens health, happiness and inspiring love.
- The speech was recorded at the Kremlin and aired before local midnight across regions, with Kamchatka and Chukotka seeing it first under the standard staggered broadcast.
- Dmitry Medvedev thanked those spending the holiday on the front lines, Mikhail Mishustin wished for a successful 2026 for Russia, and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin praised residents’ work and character.
- Servicemen on operational fronts sent holiday messages via correspondents, including fighters near Kupyansk and in the ‘Center’ grouping, with one soldier wishing for the war to end as soon as possible.
- Roscosmos released a video greeting from ISS cosmonauts Sergey Kud‑Sverchkov, Sergey Mikaev and Oleg Platonov, and U.S. chargé d’affaires Douglas Dyckhaus posted a Russian‑language New Year wish on the embassy’s Telegram channel.