⌨On December 31, Russian editors prioritized a highly detailed technical narrative regarding the alleged drone attack on President Putin’s Valdai residence. Throughout the morning, state-aligned outlets like TASS, NTV, and RIA Novosti synchronized reports featuring military briefings, maps, and video footage of drone debris, claiming 91 UAVs were intercepted. This was framed as a direct provocation by Kyiv to sabotage the diplomatic momentum established in previous days between Putin and President Trump.
By early afternoon, the editorial focus shifted to Putin’s New Year’s address. Sources highlighted its brevity and focus on military personnel and the inevitability of victory, while independent outlets like The Moscow Times noted it as the shortest wartime address to date. Simultaneously, media amplified President Lukashenko’s condemnation of the Valdai strike, positioning it as a terrorist act. The evening was dominated by reports of Western escalation, specifically British and French proposals to deploy 15,000 peacekeepers to Ukraine, which state media framed as a strategic threat to the emerging 2026 peace process.