 Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the headquarters of the Sazum Military District in Rostov-on-Don on Saturday, December 31 to pass on his good wishes for the new year. Putin, who launched the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, presented an award to General Silgeyserov-Vikin, head of the military operation in Ukraine. Before his visit, the Russian president said his country would never give in to the West's attempt to use Ukraine as a tool to destroy Russia in a New Year's video message broadcast on Russian state TV. Putin said Russia was fighting in Ukraine to protect its motherland and to secure true independence for its people in a message film in front of the Russian service personnel.