President Vladimir Putin utilized his traditional New Year’s message on Wednesday to emphasize the unity of the Russian people behind the military and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, declaring an intention for victory as the war nears its fourth year.

“You have embraced the duty to defend your homeland, your truth, and your justice,” Putin stated while addressing soldiers stationed at the front. “I assure you, millions throughout Russia stand with you on this New Year’s Eve.”

“I extend my congratulations to all our servicemen and leaders as we welcome the New Year. We have faith in you and our eventual triumph,” he remarked.

Clad in a black suit with a dark-blue tie and positioned in front of the Kremlin, Putin expressed that Russians are “united by a genuine, selfless, and devoted love for their country.”

“The power of our togetherness is what safeguards the sovereignty and security of the Motherland, as well as its advancement and future,” he noted. He added that “the efforts, accomplishments, and successes of each individual contribute new pages to Russia’s millennium-long history.”

The address, which was broadcast first in the Far East before being shown across all of Russia’s 11 time zones as the clock struck midnight, follows a New Year’s tradition established by Russian leaders since the Soviet era.

This year’s speech was notably subdued and adhered to a familiar format used prior to the war. In his New Year’s address for 2022, Putin was accompanied by uniformed military personnel, presenting a more overtly combative image amidst the initial stages of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Additionally, December 31 marks the 26th anniversary of Putin’s rise to power after former President Boris Yeltsin announced his resignation in 1999.