Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed governor of Kherson province, stated this morning that at least 24 people died and more than 50 were injured when Ukraine deployed unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) targeting a hotel hosting a New Year's event in Khorly village. The attack occurred on the night of 31/12/2025, just before New Year's Eve celebrations.
According to Saldo, Ukrainian reconnaissance UAVs scouted the area shortly before the attack. Three more aircraft then appeared, crashing into the crowded area and causing a large fire that incinerated the hotel premises. "One of the three UAVs carried an incendiary mixture. Many victims burned to death," he reported.
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Scene of the drone attack on the hotel in Kherson on the night of 31/12/2025. Photo: RIA Novosti
The Russian-appointed governor confirmed that all fatalities were civilians, including one child. The injured were transported to hospitals on the Crimea peninsula, where doctors are fighting to save their lives.
Saldo likened this attack to the Odessa massacre in May 2014, an event where Ukrainian ultranationalists reportedly pursued protesters opposing the Orange Revolution into a building in Odessa city, setting it on fire and killing 42 people. "This is the 'peace' that Volodymyr Zelensky claims to be pursuing," Governor Saldo added, referring to the Ukrainian President.
The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations confirmed the attack, stating that 24 people were killed and 29 injured, including 5 children. The Russian Investigative Committee announced a criminal investigation into "an act of terrorist attack."
Ukrainian officials have not commented on the information.
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Location of Khorly village. Graphic: Telegraph
Kherson is one of four provinces Russia claimed to annex in late 2022, alongside Donetsk, Lugansk, and Zaporizhzhia. Russian forces initially controlled the provincial capital of Kherson during the early stages of the conflict, but the Ukrainian army later recaptured the city and some areas in the province. Russia currently holds approximately three-quarters of the province's territory.
The Ukrainian military frequently targets Russian-controlled areas in Kherson. Conversely, Kherson city and Ukrainian troop concentration points in the region have also repeatedly come under attack by Russian glide bombs and artillery.
