Ukraine has not commented on attack on cafe and hotel that comes despite ‘productive’ ongoing peace talks
Ukraine has not commented on attack on cafe and hotel that comes despite ‘productive’ ongoing peace talks
A Ukrainian drone strike killed 24 people and injured at least 50 more as they celebrated the new year in a Russian-occupied village in Ukraine’s Kherson region, Russian officials said, as tensions between the two countries continue to rise despite diplomats hailing productive peace talks.
Three drones struck a cafe and hotel in the resort town of Khorly on the Black Sea coast, the region’s Moscow-installed leader, Vladimir Saldo, said in a statement on Telegram on Thursday. He said one of the drones was carrying an incendiary mixture that sparked a blaze.
Ukrainian officials did not immediately comment on the claim and the Associated Press was unable to independently verify the incident.
A number of Russian officials condemned the attack. The chair of the upper house of parliament, Valentina Matviyenko, said it strengthened Russia’s resolve to quickly achieve its goals in its almost four-year invasion of Ukraine.
The strike “once again demonstrates the validity of our initial demands,” Matviyenko said.
The statement follows claims from Moscow that Ukraine had launched a long-range drone attack against one of Vladimir Putin’s official residences in north-western Russia on Tuesday.
