Overview
- Russian-installed Kherson governor Vladimir Saldo said three Ukrainian drones struck a hotel and cafe in occupied Khorly during New Year celebrations, reporting at least 24 dead and alleging one drone carried an incendiary device.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin received a phone briefing from Saldo on the situation and the ongoing investigation, with victim identification underway and names to be posted by regional authorities.
- Ukrainian officials denied targeting civilians and told Interfax-Ukraine that strikes are directed exclusively at Russian military or energy infrastructure.
- Cross-border drone activity intensified over the holiday period, with Moscow’s mayor reporting 29 Ukrainian drones shot down near the capital over roughly 20 hours and Russian officials reporting Ukrainian strikes on energy and industrial sites in Krasnodar, Tatarstan, and Kaluga.
- A senior Russian commander claimed evidence showed a Ukrainian drone targeted a Putin residence in Novgorod, a claim Ukraine denied and that US intelligence sources told reporters did not involve Kyiv.