Putin called the meeting with the families of the Heroes of the Russian Federation killed in the North Military District a signal for officials

President Vladimir Putin said that his Christmas Eve meeting with the families of Russian Heroes who died in a military operation is a signal to all levels of government. In his opinion, officials should “always and everywhere be close” to the relatives of the victims.

“I would like our meeting to be a clear, understandable signal to all my colleagues throughout the Russian Federation, and at all levels, to ensure that my colleagues at any level of government and management are always and everywhere next to you. So that you always feel there are people next to you who, if necessary, can support, help, and come to the rescue if you need it. Life is complex and diverse. There are always cases, they often arise when outside support is needed,” Mr. Putin said at the meeting. Video footage from the meeting was distributed press service Kremlin.

After the meeting at the Novo-Ogarevo residence, the head of state invited guests for dinner, said presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov. Mr. Putin, together with the relatives of the fallen Heroes of Russia, was supposed to attend the Christmas service in the Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands, which is located on the territory of the residence.

Vladimir Putin last celebrated Christmas in Novo-Ogarevo in 2022; in 2023, on the night of January 7, he was in the temple of the Moscow Kremlin. Previously, the president more often celebrated Christmas in churches outside the capital region.

Leonid Uvarchev