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New Year's Horror: Drone Strike on Kherson Cafe Kills 24, Including Child

Russian authorities accuse Ukraine of a premeditated drone attack on a civilian New Year's celebration in the Kherson region, resulting in significant casualties. The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the strike as a "terrorist act" and blamed Western supporters of Ukraine. Regional officials reported drones, including one with an incendiary payload, hit a cafe and hotel, causing a major fire. While Ukraine did not comment on the Kherson incident, its military separately reported carrying out strikes on an oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region.

Key Points: Drone Attack on Kherson New Year's Celebration Kills 24

  • Civilian New Year's gathering targeted
  • 24 killed, over 50 injured
  • Russia calls it a "terrorist act"
  • Ukraine strikes Russian oil refinery in separate attack
2 min read

24 killed, over 50 injured in Ukrainian drone attack on New Year celebrations in Kherson region: Russian MFA

Russian MFA reports a Ukrainian drone strike on a cafe and hotel during New Year's festivities in Kherson, killing 24 civilians and injuring over 50.

"For more than 70 residents the New Year became a tragedy... - Russian Foreign Ministry"

Moscow, January 1

At least 24 people were killed, including a child and more than 50 were injured after Ukrainian drones struck a cafe and a hotel during New Year celebrations in the Kherson region, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Thursday.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the attack took place in the early hours of 2026 and targeted a location where civilians had gathered to celebrate the New Year.

The ministry alleged that the strike was carried out using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), calling it "another terrorist act against civilians" by the Kyiv regime.

"For more than 70 residents the New Year became a tragedy: the Neo-Nazis attacked a cafe and a hotel in the Kherson region of Russia using UAVs. 24 people were killed, over 50 were wounded and have been hospitalized. Among those affected -- six kids from the age of 6 to 17, one child was killed," the statement read.

The MFA further accused that the attack was "preplanned", noting that the drones were directed to a place where civilians celebrated the New Year.

Following the strike, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Ukrainian forces of carrying out what she described as an act carried out by "terrorist bastards in Ukraine".

She also alleged that the attack deliberately targeted a civilian gathering and blamed Western countries for supporting Ukraine.

"Today we see this beastly pattern copycatted by the Kiev regime: the same neo-Nazi hatred, the same dehumanisation at an exponential rate, the same desecration of the sacrosanct," the spokesperson said.

"We blame this on everyone who sponsors terrorist bastards in Ukraine! We blame them for killing children and destroying civilians! We blame them for corrupting the Ukrainian statehood, which turned into a killing machine," she added.

Kherson region Governor Vladimir Saldo said three drones struck a cafe and a hotel in the coastal village of Khorly, stating that one of the drones reportedly carried an incendiary payload, leading to a major fire at the site.

According to Al Jazeera, Kherson is among the four Ukrainian regions that Russia claimed to have annexed in 2022.

Ukraine's military has not commented on Russia's allegations regarding the incident in Kherson. However, in a separate statement, the Ukrainian armed forces said they carried out overnight strikes on Russia's Ilsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar region, noting that the attack's impact was still being assessed, Al Jazeera reported.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
The loss of innocent life, including a child, is always a profound tragedy. However, it's crucial to remember this report comes from the Russian MFA. We need independent verification. The fog of war makes it hard to know the full context or if this was indeed a deliberate strike on a purely civilian target.
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Aditya G
War has no winners, only victims. Whether it's in Kherson or in Ukrainian cities bombed earlier, the common people suffer the most. India's position of calling for dialogue and peace is the only sane path forward. This endless cycle of violence helps no one.
P
Priyanka N
The language used by the Russian spokesperson is extremely inflammatory ("terrorist bastards", "beastly pattern"). While the incident is tragic, such rhetoric only deepens hatred and makes any future peace even more difficult. All sides need to de-escalate the rhetoric along with the fighting.
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Vikram M
A grim start to 2026. It's mentioned that Russia annexed Kherson in 2022, but Ukraine and most of the world still see it as Ukrainian territory. So from Ukraine's perspective, they are striking within their own borders. A very complex and sad situation all around.
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Kiran H
The article says Ukraine hasn't commented on this but did strike an oil refinery. If true, hitting a cafe and a hotel seems very different from targeting war infrastructure. Civilians should never be pawns. Hope the international community pushes harder for a ceasefire.

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