MOSCOW.- Russia accused Ukraine this Thursday of carrying out an attack in a city in the region during the night Khersonpartly controlled by the Russians, which left at least 24 dead while Kyiv denounced a Russian attack by 200 drones on energy structures.
These new attacks, in the first hours of 2026, They came amid uncertainty over talks to end the conflict, the outcome of which is still uncertain.
Moscow claimed that Ukrainian forces fired three drones on New Year’s Eve Visit a cafe and hotel in the resort town of Khorly. on the Black Sea coast, in the part of the Ukrainian Kherson region controlled by Russian forces.
The Moscow-appointed de facto governor of Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, He said on Telegram that at least 24 people were killed and “dozens” were injured. and also published photos showing charred corpses.
In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry accused Kyiv “deliberately torpedo any attempt at a peaceful solution to the conflict” with their drone attacks. He also called on foreign governments and international bodies to condemn it “This bloody attack.”
Valentina Matviyenko, speaker of the upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, said of the attack “reinforced” Moscow’s determination to quickly achieve the objectives of the invasion of Ukraine launched almost four years ago. The attack “Once again proves the validity of our original demands” he pointed out.
The Ukrainian president, for his part, Volodymyr Zelensky, accused Russia of starting a new year with more attacks as part of its offensive launched in February 2022.
“Russia deliberately starts the new year by continuing the war and launching more than 200 drones” On New Year’s Eve, he denounced on social networks on Thursday, specifying that Moscow had targeted energy infrastructure. The president also said that meetings were planned in the coming days to try to advance negotiations.
A meeting with security advisers from its European allies will take place in Ukraine on Saturday. Zelensky announced that an American team would take part via video conference. and stated that 15 countries had confirmed their participation, as well as representatives of the EU and NATO.
A meeting between military officials is scheduled for Monday to discuss this “Safety guarantees” that your allies can contribute. “At the political level, almost everything is prepared, and it is important to clarify every detail of how the guarantees will work if we manage to end the war,” Zelensky said.
For Tuesday A summit meeting with Western heads of state and government is planned, the Ukrainian president added, without specifying the location of the meeting. He had previously stated that it could take place in France.
The Ukrainian leader said that there was an agreement with Russia “It’s 90% finished.” but that the remaining 10% would determine “the fate of peace.” His Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, for his part, urged people to believe in it “Victory”.
The Kremlin announced this this week “harden” his negotiating position to end the war after he accused Ukraine of firing drones against Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region.
Kiev called this accusation a “lie” and claimed that Moscow was using it as a lie pretext continue to attack Ukraine and undermine negotiations.
According to a US official Wall Street Journal, The CIA concluded that there was no attack on Putin’s residence. According to the official, Ukrainian forces attempted to attack a military facility in another part of the Novgorod region.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday that its specialists They had accessed the navigation system One of the drones they claimed was used in the attack used its data to confirm that Putin’s residence was the final target.
On Wednesday, he also posted a video of a drone being shot down, which he said was part of the attack. The nighttime photo showed a man Camouflage dress, with helmet and Kevlar vest next to a damaged drone in the snow. The man speaks on the device with his face covered. Defense officials said they would share the data with U.S. authorities “through established channels.”
Meanwhile, the nightly bombings don’t stop. In 2025 Russia launched 54,592 long-range drones and 1,958 missiles in night strikes against Ukraine. a total of 56,550 ammunition, according to an analysis by AFP.
In December, Russian forces have fired 5,310 long-range missiles and drones into Ukrainian territory. 6% less than in November. These bombings primarily target Ukraine’s gas and electricity infrastructure. In response, Kyiv frequently carries out attacks against Russian oil depots and refineries.
Kiev also continues to pressure the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to take action against Russia over attacks on electrical infrastructure “Criticism of nuclear safety” in the nuclear power plants of Ukraine.
The IAEA on Tuesday released a statement sent from Kiev saying a Russian drone and missile attack on December 23 led to the loss of some Ukrainian nuclear power plants “a significant part of its external electrical connections.”
AP and AFP agencies
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