Putin, 70, looked strained and worn as he addressed Russians on television in each of the country’s 11 time zones just before midnight.
His message was also tired, again claiming he was taking on Nazis in Ukraine and that the West wanted to use Ukraine as a tools to destroy Russia.
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He coughed at several points, and appeared weary and aged in a message broadcast, as his missiles pounded in horrific attacks Ukraine even as people prepared to mark the new year.
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