Russia has accused Ukraine of carrying out a deadly drone attack on a hotel in the Moscow-controlled part of Ukraine’s Kherson region, saying at least 20 people were killed during New Year celebrations.
The allegation was made on Thursday by the Russia-installed governor of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, who said the attack happened in Khorly, a coastal settlement on the Black Sea.
According to Saldo, three drones struck a café and hotel where civilians had gathered to mark the New Year.
“The enemy fired three drones that struck a cafe and hotel on the Black Sea coast in Khorly, where civilians were celebrating the New Year,” he said.
Ukraine has not responded publicly to the accusation.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal investigation into the incident, adding that “more than 20 people were killed and many others were injured.”
Photos shared by Saldo on Telegram showed a building badly damaged by fire, with rubble scattered around the site.
Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, described the incident as a deliberate attack on civilians.
“This was a terrorist attack against the civilian population,” she said.
The development comes at a sensitive time, as diplomatic efforts to end the nearly four-year war continue. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said his country was “10 per cent” away from reaching a peace deal.
Zelensky, however, accused Russia of starting the New Year with fresh attacks, saying more than 200 drones were launched overnight against Ukraine.
“Russia is carrying the war into the New Year,” he said.
Ukraine’s electricity operator, Ukrenergo, said the attacks mainly targeted energy facilities, leaving “a significant number of consumers” without power. Railway and port infrastructure were also damaged.
An analysis based on Ukrainian air force data showed a slight drop in Russian drone and missile attacks in December 2025. Russia reportedly launched at least 5,134 drones that month, six per cent fewer than in November, while missile attacks fell by 18 per cent.
However, the same data showed that Ukraine intercepted fewer incoming weapons, destroying about 80 per cent in December compared to 82 per cent the previous month.
Meanwhile, United States President Donald Trump has been holding talks with both Moscow and Kyiv, saying he wants to end the conflict.
Earlier this week, Russia accused Ukraine of attempting a drone strike on one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences. Ukraine dismissed the claim, saying there was no “plausible” evidence.
Despite scepticism from Ukraine’s allies, Russia said it would hand over what it called “decrypted data” from the alleged drone to the United States.
“These materials will be transferred to the American side through established channels,” Russia’s defence ministry said.
Zelensky has announced plans to meet leaders of allied countries in France next week, with security advisers expected to meet in Ukraine ahead of the talks.
