Multiple Ukrainian long-range drones were intercepted as they headed toward the Russian capital on New Year's Eve. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin confirmed the first interception at 11:55 p.m., moments before President Vladimir Putin began his traditional New Year address. According to Sobyanin, Russian air defense forces destroyed one unmanned aerial vehicle flying toward Moscow. Another drone was shot down shortly after midnight as the city entered 2026.
Between 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. on Thursday, seven more drones were intercepted, extending the overnight alert. Emergency services specialists were dispatched to the crash sites, with officials reporting no casualties or damage. As a precaution, flights were temporarily suspended at Domodedovo airport. The incident followed another attempted drone raid on Moscow just a day earlier. Moscow region Governor Andrei Vorobyov said air defenses downed at least 21 hostile UAVs in that attack. One man, aged 57, suffered shrapnel wounds to his back and arm during the previous incident.
Ukrainian forces have repeatedly launched drone strikes deep into Russian territory in recent months. Targets have included critical infrastructure and residential buildings. According to Moscow, Russian authorities have described the attacks as desperate acts of terrorism. In response, Moscow says it has carried out strikes on military-linked Ukrainian infrastructure. The stated aim is to degrade Ukraine's drone and weapons production capabilities.
Meanwhile, in his New Year address, President Putin expressed confidence in victory amid the nearly four-year conflict with neighboring Ukraine.
We rely on our own capabilities, on those who are close to us, who are near and precious to our hearts, and we ourselves are always prepared to lend a helping hand. This mutual support gives us the confidence that everything we have envisioned, our hopes and plans, will certainly be fulfilled. Of course, each of us has our own personal, special, and uniquely individual ones, but they are inseparable from the destiny of our homeland, from our sincere desire to benefit it. After all, we are united, the people of Russia. The diligent efforts, the successes, and the accomplishments of each and every one of us are forming new chapters in its thousand-year-old history. And the enduring strength of our unity truly determines the sovereignty and the security of our fatherland, its continued development and its future.
The new year is first and foremost a time for believing in a brighter future, in goodness, and in good fortune. It's a truly unique and magical holiday when our hearts open wide for love, for friendship, and for compassion, for empathy, and for true generosity. We strive to bring joy and warmth through our attention to all those who are in need of compassion and care, and of course to support with both word and deed our brave heroes, the participants of the special military operation. You have taken on the immense responsibility to fight for your native land, for truth and for justice. Millions of people across all of Russia, I assure you, are with you this New Year's Eve. They think of you. They empathize. They hope for you. We are united in our sincere, selfless, devoted love for Russia. I congratulate all our soldiers and commanders on the upcoming new year. We believe in you and our victory.
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Putin, V. (2026, January 1). Putin Survives 2nd Ukrainian Drone Attack During New Year Speech In Russian Capital Moscow? [Interview transcript]. Times Of India. CEOInterviews.AI. https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/648796/
MLA
Vladimir Putin. "Putin Survives 2nd Ukrainian Drone Attack During New Year Speech In Russian Capital Moscow?." Times Of India, 1 Jan. 2026. Transcript, CEOInterviews.AI, https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/648796/.
BibTeX
@misc{putin2026_648796,
author = {Vladimir Putin},
title = {Putin Survives 2nd Ukrainian Drone Attack During New Year Speech In Russian Capital Moscow?},
howpublished = {Interview transcript, Times Of India. CEOInterviews.AI},
year = {2026},
month = {jan},
url = {https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/648796/},
note = {Speaker-attributed transcript with timestamps}
}
