Putin dreams of 'victory' over Ukraine in New Year address, ignores Russia’s losses
Vladimir Putin, Kremlin leader (photo: Getty Images)
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin once again focused on the war in his New Year’s address to Russians. He hinted at his views on Ukraine but neglected to mention the main point, according to Deutsche Welle.
This year, Putin’s New Year greeting lasted just 3 minutes and 20 seconds. As is traditional, viewers in the Far East saw the address first.
During his speech, the Russian dictator specifically greeted soldiers and commanders of the Russian army, who, in his words, took on the responsibility to fight for their homeland, for truth and justice.
Putin called them so-called heroes and claimed he supports them in word and deed. He also hinted that he believes in a supposed victory over Ukraine.
“We believe in you and in our victory,” he said.
At the same time, the Russian dictator chose not to mention the losses suffered by the Russian army in 2025 or over the entire course of the full-scale war.
Otherwise, the text of Putin’s address was entirely standard, featuring nothing unusual - just more familiar phrases about Russia’s millennia-long history and similar themes.
Russian army losses
The Russian army continues to lose soldiers and equipment daily in the war against Ukraine. In just the previous 24 hours, from December 30 to 31, the enemy lost 1,000 troops. In addition, the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed 33 artillery systems, 552 drones, and 127 vehicles.
On December 31, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, reported the total number of Russian losses in 2025. According to him, the enemy lost nearly 420,000 troops over the year.
