Ukraine Drone Strike in Kherson Kills 27: Russia Accuses Kyiv

Russia has accused Ukraine of killing at least 27 people in a drone strike on a New Year’s party in a hotel and cafe in the Russian-occupied southern Kherson region. According to the Russia-installed regional governor, Vladimir Saldo, more than 30 people were injured in the alleged attack, which he said happened in the village of Khorly on the Black Sea.

Ukraine’s Response to Civilian Casualty Claims

Asked by News 360 Plus for comment, Ukraine said it would not directly respond to sources of information such as claims from governors of occupied regions. But it confirmed adherence to international humanitarian law and said it conducts strikes exclusively against military targets.

AFP news agency quoted a source in Ukraine’s defence forces as confirming that, while a strike did take place, it targeted a military gathering closed to civilians. According to Saldo, the alleged attack was carried out with three UAVs [Unmanned Aerial Vehicles] which “struck a cafe and hotel on the Black Sea coast in Khorly”.

Damage and Investigations

News 360 Plus has not been able to independently verify these claims or the number of casualties. Saldo said he personally informed President Vladimir Putin of the attack.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said it was aware of the alleged attack and would “verify the reported civilian harm and report on its findings in future reports”. Photographs published by Russian state media showed a badly damaged room with a collapsed roof. One picture appeared to show a body covered in a sheet.

Location: Buganova’s Cafe, Khorly Village

The Russian-installed authorities in Kherson did not specify where the attack took place, but the damaged building appears to be a three-storey hotel and restaurant formerly known as “Ukrainian House”, now called “Buganova’s Cafe”. Images from the cafe’s website show features similar to those in the Russian media photos.

Russia’s Reaction

Russia’s Investigative Committee opened an investigation into the attack, while the Russian foreign affairs ministry accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of “seeking to intimidate the populations of the reunited Russian regions, who have forever linked their fates with Russia through referendums”.

Background: Kherson and the Annexation

Moscow occupies more than half of southern Kherson, which it “annexed” through a 2022 referendum. Ukraine and its allies denounced the vote as a sham.

Impact on Diplomacy

The alleged attack comes as diplomatic efforts to end the war continue, with Zelensky stating in his New Year address that a US-brokered agreement with Russia was “90% ready”. Earlier, Russia accused Ukraine of a drone attack on one of Putin’s residences, which Kyiv denied. On Friday, Ukraine’s foreign intelligence service warned of large-scale “provocations” by Russia with civilian casualties to derail peace talks.