A festively set table, a champagne glass.

On the table, between the bottle and the plate, is a smartphone showing Vladimir Putin's New Year's speech.

Russia's president is just thanking "the entire personnel of the armed forces", then there is a bang.

The camera pans to a young woman in a black dress who rushes into the room from the balcony, screaming, towards the Christmas tree.

Frederick Smith

Political correspondent for Russia and the CIS in Moscow.

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The pictures are said to have been taken in Makiivka in eastern Ukraine and capture the moment when a rocket attack destroyed a vocational school.

The functional building is said to have served the occupying military as accommodation for soldiers and as an ammunition depot.

The Ukrainian side said around 400 men were killed and 300 others wounded.

On New Year's Day, the Russian Ministry of Defense only reported intercepting projectiles from the American HIMARS multiple rocket launcher in Makiivka.

Only on Monday afternoon did it announce that "63 Russian soldiers" had died;

two missiles were intercepted, four had reached their target.

According to unconfirmed reports, soldiers drafted into the mobilization from the Saratov region were housed in the vocational school.

Russian war propagandists complained on Telegram about failures in the housing of the soldiers.

They wrote first of a few, then of dozens of deaths, then on Monday afternoon of "more than 200".

Ammunition is simply stored "under tarps" with the soldiers, state television man Alexandr Sladkov complained on Telegram and appealed: "Bring concrete reinforcements to the second line of defense, that's necessary."

Russian politicians complain about their own vulnerability

Deputy Chairman of the Moscow City Parliament Andrei Medvedev described the practice of housing soldiers in unprotected buildings as "direct aid to the enemy."

It was "dangerous and criminal" after "ten months of war to take your opponent for a fool who can't see anything".

It was clear that the Ukrainians would use the New Year's days to strike "where we are vulnerable".

The complaints relate to the treatment of their own soldiers;

however, their own attacks against the Ukrainian energy supply on New Year's Eve are approved.

Still, the mood is somber.

Andrei Medvedev referred to Putin, who said that protecting people had top priority.

It is not enough to say that Russian women give birth to new soldiers.

"Not only will we not win, but our prospects will generally be bleak," he complained.

Putin's appearance at the New Year was proof of this.

The tradition of televising this goes back to 1970 and has become a ritual for the most important family celebration of the year.

In recent years, Putin has always spoken in front of a Kremlin backdrop about health, happiness and family, trying to convey security.

Now the ruler was seen in front of 16 men and three women in military uniform.

The speech was allegedly recorded during a visit by Putin to the Rostov-on-Don headquarters of the Southern Military District.

She looks unhappy in every way.

In the Kremlin control room, the faces of the top third of the extras are cropped.

In addition, one of the women in camouflage was previously identified in various roles in Putin's appearances: the strong blonde was seen as an ice cream seller, boat crew member and church visitor with Putin.

It is believed that she actually works for the FSO secret service, Putin's personal security service.

Putin continues to promise victory for Russia

In terms of content, Putin gave a war and perseverance speech, trying to justify his "special operation".

"It has been a year of difficult, necessary decisions, extremely important steps to achieve full sovereignty of Russia and powerfully consolidate our society," Putin said.

Until recently, the thesis that Russia was not sovereign was reserved for marginal forces.

During the war, Putin has made this position his own, even though he has been responsible for Russia's sovereignty for almost 23 years.

Putin divided the Russians: some showed "courage and heroism", others "treason and faintheartedness".

He defended the annexations of Ukrainian territories - "We protect our historical territories" - and blamed the war on others: "The West lied about peace, but prepared for aggression," said Putin.

The West "is using Ukraine and her people to weaken and divide Russia," which will not be allowed.

"We will only go forward, win for our families and for Russia," Putin promised.

But instead of hope, there was only the invocation of new victims.

Perhaps Yevgeny Prigozhin captured the spirit of the moment best.

The media of the owner of the mercenary group "Wagner" published pictures showing him between corpses mostly packed in black plastic bags.

Prigozhin explains that it is fighters who died “at the front” who are now being loaded: “Your contract has expired, you are going home.”