The annual news conference sets the Kremlin’s tone for the next year and highlights President Vladimir V. Putin’s grip over Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said a medium-range system armed with Moscow's latest Oreshnik hypersonic missiles would be placed on combat duty by the end of the year, after the weapon was used for the first time in the war on Ukraine back in November 2024.

Dmitri N. Kozak had worked with President Vladimir V. Putin for three decades before quitting in September. His associates described his break with the Russian leader.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's foreign intelligence director, Sergei Naryshkin, said that he had recently spoken by telephone to the chief of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), TASS reported on Thursday.

India gave Russia's leader a warm welcome in his first visit since his country invaded Ukraine. The visit in part signaled India's defiance of the U.S., which has punished New Delhi for buying Russian oil.

Moscow finds itself even more dependent on China as war and sanctions curb artificial-intelligence efforts.

Turkey is seeking to return S-400 air defense systems it bought from Russia nearly a decade ago, a move that would end a controversial deal that roiled its relationship with the US and other NATO members.