At least 24 people were killed and more than 50 injured when three Ukrainian drones struck a cafe and a hotel in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine, where New Year celebrations were underway. The strike occurred late Wednesday night, just before midnight, according to local authorities.

"Tonight, the enemy launched a targeted drone strike on a site where civilians were celebrating the New Year. Three UAVs struck a cafe and a hotel on the Black Sea coast in Khorly. According to preliminary reports, more than 50 people were injured, and 24 were killed. The numbers are being clarified," Kherson governor Volodymyr Saldo said, as quoted by Rossiya-24.

In a Telegram post, Saldo described the attack as a “deliberate strike” and blamed Ukraine for the fatalities. Russian state news agencies reported similar casualty figures, citing the local branch of Russia’s emergencies ministry.

There was no immediate comment from Ukraine, and Saldo did not provide visuals or other evidence to independently verify the claim, Reuters noted.

Kherson is one of four Ukrainian regions that Russia claimed in 2022—a move widely condemned by Kyiv and Western nations as illegal.

In response to drone threats during the New Year celebrations, Russian air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 168 Ukrainian UAVs over several regions. The Russian Defence Ministry released a statement on Thursday, detailing the interceptions:

"During the past night, 168 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles were intercepted and destroyed by air defence systems on duty: 61 over the territory of the Bryansk Region, 25 over the Krasnodar Region, 23 over the Tula Region, 16 over the Republic of Crimea, 12 over the Moscow Region, including nine UAVs flying towards capital Moscow, seven over the Kaluga Region, and 24 UAVs were destroyed over the waters of the Sea of Azov."

The threat of drone strikes also led to the temporary closure of multiple airports in southern and central Russia during the New Year night.