The Russian president Vladimir Putin assured today in his New Year’s address that his country would “never back down” after “vigorously defending” its interests in 2023, but did not specifically mention the Ukraine.

“We have proven many times that we can carry out the most difficult missions and that we will never back down because no force can divide us,” he said in his televised speech.

Although Vladimir Putin did not directly address the conflict in Ukraine, which began almost two years ago, he has repeatedly alluded to it, for example paying tribute to the soldiers, “our heroes”.

But unlike last year, when the president appeared surrounded by uniformed soldiers, this time he declared that the year 2024 will be the year of the “family” and had as a background the Kremlin.

In 2023, we “strongly defended our national interests, our freedom and our security, our values,” he said in this speech that was first broadcast in the Russian Far East, given the region’s time difference with Moscow.

The president also assured that Russia, which is experiencing “a historic phase”, will be “even stronger” in the coming year.

Hell in Ukraine after the hammering in Kharkiv

Russia announced today, New Year’s Eve how he attacked military installations in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv during the nightincluding a hotel where military commanders and “foreign mercenaries” were staying, in response to Ukrainian strikes yesterday, Saturday, against Belgorod.

Officials in Kharkiv said that at least six rockets hit Ukraine’s second-largest city, injuring at least 28 people and causing damage to residential buildings, hotels and medical facilities, followed by waves of drone attacks on residential complexes.

In the Russian statement it is mentioned that the former Kharkiv Palace hotel and the headquarters of the Ukrainian Security Service for the Kharkiv region were affected by the attack.

According to the statement, the dead included military and intelligence officers involved in Ukraine’s attack on Belgorod, as well as “foreign mercenaries and fighters” preparing to carry out cross-border raids.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region bordering northern Ukraine, said the death toll from yesterday’s Ukrainian rocket attack on the regional capital had risen to 24.

Kharkiv

In his entry on the Telegram platform, he said that there are also 108 injured and that 37 apartment buildings were damaged.

There was no official comment from Kiev in the hours after the attack in Belgorod and Reuters was unable to confirm the Russian reports from independent sources.

Ukrainian news website RBC-Ukraine reported yesterday, citing unnamed sources, that Ukrainian forces targeted military targets in Belgorod in response to massive Russian shelling of cities and infrastructure throughout Ukraine the previous day.

The Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that Ukraine launched its missiles from the Kharkiv region.