Russia blames Ukraine for deadly New Year drone strike

AFP | Kyiv

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yesterday said Kyiv was behind a deadly drone strike on a hotel in the Moscow-held part of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region that killed at least 20 people celebrating the New Year.

The accusations come at a crunch moment after weeks of diplomacy aimed at brokering an end to the near four-year war, and as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country was “10 percent” away from a peace deal.

According to a Russia-appointed governor of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, “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”.

Kyiv has not commented on the allegations. Russia’s Investigative Committee said it had opened a probe into the attack which had “killed more than 20 people and injured many more.”

A building gutted by fire, piles of smouldering rubble and charred bodies were seen in pictures that Saldo posted on Telegram.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine of carrying out a “terrorist” attack against the civilian population.

Zelensky said Russia was carrying the war “into the New Year” with more than 200 drones fired overnight, mainly targeting energy facilities.

“A significant number of consumers” were cut off from power, Ukraine’s power operator Ukrenergo said. Railway and port infrastructure was also damaged in the latest barrage.

New talks

in sight Ukraine came under intense pressure in 2025, both from Russian bombardment and on the battlefield, where it has steadily ceded ground to the Russian army.

An AFP analysis based on Ukrainian air force data showed a slight fall in overnight Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukraine in December.

Russia fired at least 5,134 drones in overnight attacks in the final month of 2025, six percent less than the month before, while the number of missiles fell by 18 percent in the same period, according to the data. However, the same data showed Ukraine destroyed a smaller share of the total sum of missiles and drones in December -- 80 percent, compared with 82 percent in November.

US President Donald Trump, who regularly complains he does not receive credit as a peacemaker, has engaged in talks with both sides in a bid to end the fighting.