Vladimir Saldo, Moscow-installed leader of the Russian-controlled parts of the Kherson region, attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Moscow, Russia August 26, 2025. Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via REUTERS

Russian-installed Kherson governor accuses Ukraine of killing 24 in New Year drone strike

· The Straits Times

MOSCOW, Jan 1 - The Russian-installed governor of Ukraine's southern Kherson region on Thursday accused Ukraine of killing at least 24 people in a drone strike on a hotel and cafe where New Year celebrations were being held.

The governor, Vladimir Saldo, made the allegation in a statement on the Telegram messaging service.

There was no immediate comment from Ukraine, and Saldo did not provide visuals or other evidence that would enable Reuters to immediately verify the allegation.

Saldo alleged in his post that three Ukrainian drones had struck the site of new New Year celebrations in Khorly, a coastal village, in what he said was a "deliberate strike".

Russian state news agencies reported that at least 24 people had been killed and 29 more injured, citing the local branch of Russia's emergencies ministry.

Kherson is one of four regions in Ukraine which Russia claimed as its own in 2022, a move Kyiv and most Western countries condemned as an illegal land grab. REUTERS