Putin says Russia developing despite pressure from 'collective West'

Russia continued to strengthen its economy and armed forces despite pressure from the "collective West," President Vladimir Putin said on Monday,

Speaking at the "Everything for Victory!" awards ceremony organized by the All-Russia People's Front (ONF) in Moscow, Putin highlighted the role of public support in the country's resilience.

"People often ask how it is that the aggressive Russophobic part of the so-called collective West is fighting against us, while we continue to develop our economy, strengthen our finances, improve our armed forces, achieve new results in the defense industry, and our troops keep advancing," Putin said.

"It is happening, among other things, thanks to your efforts. You have united more than 20 million people, and citizens — not the state — have voluntarily donated nearly 70 billion rubles to support the 'special military operation.' That is why, without any doubt, victory awaits us," he said.

During the ceremony at the Russia National Centre, Putin presented awards to volunteers and civilians recognized for humanitarian work, emergency response and support for Russian troops.

Among the recipients were Anatoly Vasilchenko and Viktor Taraskin, security guards who helped evacuate students from a college in the town of Starobilsk in the Luhansk region after a Ukrainian strike on the building that left 21 students dead and 42 injured.

Another award went to Shamil Ustarbekov, who rescued residents during severe flooding in Russia's southern republic of Dagestan, where torrential rains caused rivers to overflow, inundating settlements, damaging infrastructure and prompting emergency evacuations earlier this year.

Putin said the ONF was monitoring the implementation of 552 presidential directives, many of which stemmed from issues raised by citizens during his annual televised call-in program.