A Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian-held part of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region killed at least 20 people, Russian authorities said. The attack targeted a cafe and hotel on the Black Sea coast in Khorly, with more than 50 people injured, according to preliminary reports.
Kherson Drone Strike Kills At Least 20
Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a probe into the attack, which resulted in more than 20 deaths and numerous injuries. Pictures released by the Moscow-installed governor of Kherson showed a building gutted by fire and piles of smouldering rubble.
Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine of carrying out a “terrorist attack” on civilians. Ukrainian authorities have not yet commented on the incident.
The village of Khorly is located on a peninsula on the Black Sea coast and has been under Russian control since the start of the offensive launched in February 2022. The Ukrainian army recaptured a large part of the Kherson region, including the regional capital, during a counter-offensive in the fall of 2022.
Since then, the Dnieper river has marked the front line in the region, with both sides regularly staging deadly drone attacks.
Also on Thursday, officials reported that Ukrainian drones struck targets in three Russian regions: Krasnodar, Tatarstan, and Kaluga. Ukrainian officials confirmed strikes in two of the three regions, targeting energy and industrial sites.
Zelenskyy Accuses Russia of Bringing War ‘Into the New Year’
The conflict is nearing its fourth year, with peace talks between Kyiv, Moscow, and Washington failing to agree on a plan to stop the fighting. There had been hopes for a US-brokered ceasefire.
However, Russian allegations that Ukraine attempted to carry out a drone attack on one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s homes have led Moscow to claim it would revise its negotiating position. Ukraine has denied the allegation, and European allies have expressed scepticism. The Wall Street Journal reported that US national security officials found Ukraine did not target Putin or his residences, though Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
As Ukrainians marked the start of another year in wartime, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia was carrying the conflict “into the New Year” by launching more than 200 drones at Ukraine, primarily targeting energy infrastructure.
“Russia deliberately brings war into the New Year — launching more than two hundred attack drones against Ukraine overnight,” Zelenskyy said on social media, adding that the “targets were our energy infrastructure.” He also urged allies, including the United States, to continue sending military equipment to Ukraine, stating that “if the strikes do not stop even during the New Year holidays, then air defence deliveries cannot be delayed.”
ABC/AFP/Reuters
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