Ukraine denies targeting civilians, insisting it only hits military targets after Russia accuses Kyiv of a drone strike on a hotel that killed 27.
KYIV: The Ukrainian army has stated it only hits “military targets”. This follows Russian accusations that Kyiv fired drones at a hotel and cafe in occupied southern Ukraine, killing 27 people.
Russian-installed authorities in the Kherson region said those killed were New Year revellers, including two children. They described the incident as a “terrorist act”.
A source in Ukraine’s defence forces confirmed a strike took place. The source said the attack targeted a military gathering closed to civilians.
The hotel where Moscow says the strike occurred is in Khorly, a Black Sea resort town occupied since early 2022. Russian-installed governor Vladimir Saldo published images appearing to show a burned-out building and charred body fragments.
Ukrainian army spokesman Dmytro Lykhoviy accused Russia of “disinformation and false statements”. He stated Ukraine’s forces adhere to international humanitarian law and strike only military targets.
Ukraine’s foreign intelligence service claimed Russia was preparing a “large-scale provocation with human casualties”. It did not provide immediate evidence for this claim.
The accusations come at a critical moment in the nearly four-year conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said a US-brokered peace deal was “90 percent” ready, though territorial issues remain unresolved.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, calling it a “special military operation”. Moscow has since captured large areas of eastern and southern Ukraine.
