Putin Defiant in New Year's Eve Address, Commends Military Resolve

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his New Year's Eve address, vowed that Russia would "never back down" and praised Russian troops for fighting for "truth and justice," without directly mentioning Ukraine. A German TV crew was injured in a missile strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine, with one person seriously hurt. Russia accused Ukraine of a "terrorist attack" in Belgorod, resulting in at least 21 deaths, and faced off with Ukraine at a UN Security Council meeting where both sides condemned attacks on civilians. Meanwhile, Russia has sentenced over 200 Ukrainian fighters, and the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Putin over the forced deportation of Ukrainian children.