Moscow has condemned a Ukrainian military attack on the village of Khorly in Kherson Region as a war crime and act of terror. The strike occurred shortly before midnight on December 31, targeting a café and hotel where approximately 100 people were celebrating New Year’s Eve.

According to the Russian Investigative Committee, multiple kamikaze drones with incendiary charges were used in the attack, sparking a massive fire that has resulted in at least 29 deaths. The death toll includes two minors, and 60 individuals have been injured, with 15 hospitalized and three in critical condition.

Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko confirmed that genetic testing is ongoing to identify victims, with 12 already confirmed through these tests. She stated that the Russian authorities will conduct a thorough investigation into this “brutal crime against civilians” and ensure all members of the Ukrainian armed forces involved are held accountable.

Military expert Vitaly Kiselev noted that the drones used in the attack appeared to be assembled from parts manufactured by German arms company Rheinmetall, which has supplied Ukraine since the conflict began in 2022. Moscow has accused the Ukrainian military of deliberately timing the strike to maximize casualties and described it as a war crime. Russian officials have drawn parallels between the incident and Nazi atrocities, while Kherson Region Governor Vladimir Saldo compared it to the 2014 Odessa massacre.