Russian-installed authorities in Ukraine’s Kherson region said a Ukrainian drone attack overnight killed at least 24 people and injured over 50 after striking a cafe and a hotel on the Black Sea coast
Russian-installed authorities in Ukraine’s Kherson region said a Ukrainian drone attack overnight killed at least 24 people and injured over 50 after striking a cafe and a hotel on the Black Sea coast.
According to a Bloomberg report, Vladimir Saldo, the Moscow-appointed head of the Russian-occupied part of the Kherson region, said in a Telegram post that three drones hit a cafe and a hotel in the village of Khorly as civilians were celebrating the New Year.
He said one of the drones carried an incendiary mixture, the report added.
Saldo said the death toll of 24, including a child, and the number of injured were preliminary and could change.
The claims could not be independently verified.
Emergency services were unable to rescue more people due to the intensity of the fire, which was brought under control only by early morning. Doctors continue to treat the injured, Bloomberg reported, citing the statement.
In a separate statement, Russia’s Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal case under terrorism charges, Interfax reported.
Russia and Ukraine have been targeting each other with drones on a near-daily basis. Russia has also carried out repeated drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s energy and civilian infrastructure, causing power outages and heating disruptions during freezing winter temperatures.
The incident in Kherson came as US President Donald Trump intensified efforts to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, holding a series of separate talks with both sides ahead of the New Year.
Those efforts were further complicated this week after Russia accused Ukraine of targeting a residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Novgorod region, a claim Moscow has yet to support with solid evidence.
Ukraine denied carrying out the alleged attack, accusing Russia of attempting to undermine the peace negotiation process.
The CIA has determined that Ukraine did not target Putin or any of his residences in an attack this week, the New York Times reported, citing US officials.
With inputs from agencies
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