According to Putin, 2022 was a year of "difficult, necessary decisions" that "clearly separated courage and heroism from betrayal and cowardice."

The events of 2022, when Russian troops on Putin's orders launched a large-scale military invasion of Ukraine, were several times called by the Russian president as fateful and turning points.

Putin recalled the annexation of four Ukrainian regions, calling them historically Russian lands, and said that the "moral right" in the conflict is on Moscow's side.

Separately, Putin congratulated the participants of the so-called "special military operation" (as Russia calls the war against Ukraine) on the New Year, saying that the people against whom he recorded the address are also its participants.

At the same time, the editorial office of Sibir.Realii claims that behind Putin in the New Year's address is the same woman who was photographed with him in the guise of a "Novgorod fisherman" at Christmas in January 2017.

Putin ended his address with the words that it is necessary to go "only forward" and "win".

There were no New Year attributes in the video message.

Putin recorded all his previous New Year's greetings (except the very first) against the background of the Kremlin.

According to the press secretary of the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, this address was recorded at the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don.

It is claimed that Putin visited him on Saturday morning.