Putin boasts about gains in Ukraine as he holds annual news conference

President Vladimir Putin boasted his military operation in Ukraine has strengthened Russia and denied that the downfall of a key ally in Syria had dented Moscow’s prestige, as he sought to project strength at his annual news conference and call-in show.

As is typical, the Russian leader used the tightly choreographed event, which usually lasts hours, to reinforce his authority and demonstrate a sweeping command of everything from consumer prices to military hardware.

He claimed that nearly three years of fighting in Ukraine has hardened the Russian economy and the country’s military and hailed his troops’ gains there.

“Russia has become much stronger over the past two or three years because it has become a truly sovereign country,” he said. “We are standing firm in terms of economy, we are strengthening our defence potential and our military capability now is the strongest in the world.”

Mr Putin, who has held power for nearly a quarter of a century, said the military was “advancing towards achieving our goals” in what he calls the special military operation in Ukraine.

In response to a question about a new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile that Russia used for the first time last month to strike Ukraine, Mr Putin scoffed at claims by some western experts that it could be intercepted by Nato’s air defences.

He mockingly challenged Ukraine’s western allies to a “high-tech duel”, suggesting that Moscow could give advance notice of a strike on Kyiv with the Oreshnik missile – and see if the West could protect the city.

“Let them select a target, possibly in Kyiv, put their air defence assets there and we shall strike it with Oreshnik,” he said with a dry smile. “Let’s see what happens.”

Russian troops are making steady, if slow, advances in Ukraine – but the Kremlin has also suffered some embarrassing setbacks.

Just this week, a senior Russian general was killed by a bomb outside his apartment building in Moscow. The brazen killing of Lt Gen Igor Kirillov, claimed by Ukraine, brought the conflict once again to the streets of the Russian capital.

Moscow’s troops are also battling Ukrainian forces in the Russian region of Kursk, where they have launched an incursion. Asked when they would drive the Ukrainians out, Mr Putin responded that “we will certainly kick them out” but wouldn’t say how long it will take.

In past years, the show, which is broadcast live by state-controlled TV stations across Russia’s 11 time zones, has been heavily dominated by domestic issues, with journalists and ordinary people calling in to ask about road repairs, utility prices and government subsidies.

But the Russian leader is particulalry watched for his answers on foreign affairs.

In a flourish typical of the marathon news conferences, he asked people in the audience to unfurl a banner presented to him by marines fighting in Kursk as he answered questions about Ukraine.

Mr Putin said that he was open to possible talks with US President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to negotiate a deal to end the hostilities in Ukraine.

“If we meet with Mr Trump, we will have things to discuss,” he said, without offering specifics.

Mr Putin has previously demanded that Ukraine renounce its bid to join Nato and recognise Russia’s gains. Ukraine and the West have rejected those demands.

In his first comments on Bashar Assad’s demise, Mr Putin said that he had not yet met the former Syrian ruler, whom he has given asylum in Moscow. He said that he plans to and will ask him about Austin Tice, an American journalist who went missing in Syria 12 years ago.

“We also can pose the question to people who control the situation on the ground in Syria,” Mr Putin said, in response to a question from NBC’s Keir Simmons, who cited a letter he said Mr Tice’s mother wrote to the Russian leader seeking assistance.

Moscow has quickly sought to establish contacts with the rebels who ousted Mr Assad to secure its diplomatic and military personnel in the country and try to extend the lease on its air and naval bases in the country.

But it is unclear how much influence Russia will have in Syria going forward.

Mr Assad’s demise has dealt it a painful blow since Russia has fought for nine years to prop up the Syrian leader in the country’s civil war.

Still, Mr Putin denied that the events had weakened Moscow, arguing that it has achieved the goal of destroying “terrorist” groups in the country set when it launched an air campaign in support of Mr Assad in 2015. He claimed that rebel groups that were fighting against Mr Assad have changed and the West is now ready to establish ties with them.

“That means that our goals have been achieved,” Mr Putin said.

Mr Putin added that Russia may keep its military outposts, saying that Moscow has offered the new rulers use of the air and naval bases for humanitarian aid deliveries.

Mr Putin began the session by saying that Russia’s economy is on track to grow by nearly 4% this year. He acknowledged that consumer prices are high, with inflation at 9.3%, but insisted that the economic situation remains “stable”.

The annual show is as much spectacle as news conference. Journalists in the hall near the Kremlin wave colourful signs and placards as they try desperately to attract Mr Putin’s attention.

Russian state media reported that ordinary citizens submitted more than two million questions ahead of the show.