The unmanned seacraft has proven to be a game-changer in the naval battle between the two forces, pushing Putin's ships out of the waters around Crimea and back to Russian ports.

Ukraine has achieved a historic first by successfully using a sea drone to destroy a Russian helicopter off the coast of occupied Crimea. The strike, which took place near Cape Tarkhankut, saw a Magura V5 naval drone equipped with missiles take down one Mi-8 helicopter and damage another.

Still, Putin refrained from giving a concrete outlook on the war in Ukraine, or the path of the Russian economy going forward. He also did not mention Russia's inflation struggles

President Vladimir Putin told Russians in a New Year address that the country would move forward with confidence in 2025, though he offered no specific promises on the economy or the war in Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin made a pledge to Russia’s soldiers in his pre-recorded New Year address. In his address to the nation on Tuesday (31 December), the Russian President praised his country’s military in its war against Ukraine,