Russia Blames Ukraine for Deadly New Year Drone Strike

Russia on Thursday accused Kyiv of carrying out a drone strike on a hotel in the Moscow-held part of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, killing at least 20 people celebrating the New Year. Moscow said the attack “torpedoed” ongoing peace efforts.

The accusation comes amid weeks of diplomacy aimed at ending the nearly four-year war, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country was “10 percent” away from a peace deal.

Since Russia launched its full-scale offensive in 2022, tens of thousands have been killed, eastern Ukraine has been devastated, and millions have been forced to flee their homes.

According to the Russia-appointed governor of Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, “the enemy” fired three drones that struck a café and hotel on the Black Sea coast in Khorly, where civilians were celebrating the New Year. Pictures posted on Telegram showed a building gutted by fire, smouldering rubble, and charred bodies.

Kyiv has not commented on the allegations.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said it had opened a probe into the attack, which reportedly killed more than 20 people and injured many others. The Russian foreign ministry said the death toll is still being clarified. Saldo said more than 100 revelers had gathered at the hotel the night of the strike.

The Russian foreign ministry called the attack a “terrorist act,” urged international condemnation, and warned Ukraine of “appropriate consequences,” accusing Kyiv of deliberately undermining attempts to resolve the conflict peacefully.

Meanwhile, Zelensky said Russia launched more than 200 drones overnight, targeting energy facilities and other infrastructure, cutting power for “a significant number of consumers.” Railway and port facilities were also damaged in the attacks.

In Kharkiv, Russian strikes hit a park with a zoo, wounding one person. Animals including lions were injured, and pheasants and parrots were killed, the park’s owner said.

New Talks in Sight

Ukraine has faced intense pressure in 2025 from both Russian bombardment and territorial advances. Data from the Ukrainian air force shows a slight decrease in Russian drone and missile attacks in December: at least 5,134 drones and fewer missiles, although Ukraine also destroyed a smaller share of these weapons compared with November.

US President Donald Trump has engaged with both sides in efforts to end the conflict, though Ukraine maintains that Russia is not interested in peace and aims to sabotage diplomacy to seize more territory.

Earlier this week, Moscow accused Ukraine of attempting a drone strike on one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences, a claim Kyiv rejected as lacking evidence. Russia said it will provide the United States with “decrypted data” from the drone through established channels.

Zelensky is scheduled to meet leaders from Kyiv’s allied coalition in France next week, preceded by a meeting of allied security advisers in Ukraine on Saturday.