Russia Says 24 Killed In Attack In Occupied Kherson Region

Russian-installed authorities in the Kherson region said a Ukrainian drone attack overnight struck a cafe and a hotel on the Black Sea coast, killing and wounding dozens.

Three drones hit the buildings in the village of Khorly, killing at least 24 and injuring more than 50 as people celebrated the New Year, Vladimir Saldo, Russia’s installed head of the occupied part of Kherson region, said in a Telegram post. One of the drones carried an incendiary device, he said.

The claims couldn’t be independently verified though Saldo later posted photos allegedly showing the aftermath. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy didn’t comment on any such attack in a statement Thursday, but said Russia had launched more than 200 drones against Ukraine overnight, targeting energy infrastructure across several regions.

Assaults from both sides continue despite a flurry of diplomatic activity as US President Donald Trump pushes to secure a resolution to the conflict that’s dragged on for almost four years. Although Trump and Zelenskiy expressed optimism about the peace talks last weekend, the Kremlin subsequently said it would toughen its negotiating position.

Moscow said earlier this week that Ukraine targeted a residence of President Vladimir Putin in the Novgorod region, but provided no substantive evidence to support the claim. Kyiv issued a denial and accused Russia of attempting to undermine peace negotiations. The US Central Intelligence Agency has since determined that Ukraine didn’t target any of Putin’s residences, the New York Times reported.

The alleged drone attack in Kherson caused an intense fire, which prevented the emergency services from rescuing more people, according to Saldo, who said the blaze had since been brought under control. He said the number of fatalities — which include a child — and injured are preliminary and may change.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a separate statement that it had opened a criminal investigation, according to Interfax.

Meanwhile, Ukraine said Thursday that an attack on energy facilities in the western region of Volyn cut power to more than 100,000 people. Zelenskiy said energy assets were also targeted in the Rivne, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Sumy, Kharkiv and Chernihiv regions. Russia also struck the ports of Izmail and Odesa again, damaging equipment and infrastructure, according to the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority.

Russia has maintained regular strikes on energy and civilian targets, leaving thousands of people without electricity, water and heating amid freezing temperatures. Kyiv also stepped up attacks on Russian energy infrastructure in December, hitting the most assets since the war began.

Russian authorities said Thursday that drone debris fell around the Ilsky refinery in Krasnodar region overnight, sparking a fire that was extinguished by morning. The refinery has a processing capacity of about 130,000 barrels a day.

The Defense Ministry said separately its air defense systems downed 168 drones over Russia during the night.