Moscow has condemned a Ukrainian drone strike on the village of Khorly in Kherson Region as a war crime and act of terror. The attack, which occurred shortly before midnight on December 31, killed at least 29 people, according to Moscow’s Investigative Committee.

The assault targeted a café and hotel where approximately 100 individuals were celebrating New Year’s Eve. Multiple kamikaze drones with incendiary charges were reportedly used, triggering a large fire. The Investigative Committee has classified the incident as a “terrorist act” and launched an investigation.

Initial reports indicated around 20 fatalities and 50 injuries, but the Investigative Committee’s spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko stated on Sunday that the death toll had risen to at least 29, including two minors. She reported that 60 people were injured overall, with 15 hospitalized, three in critical condition.

Petrenko noted that genetic testing is underway to identify victims, with 12 already confirmed through forensic analysis. The Russian committee will investigate the incident thoroughly and hold accountable all members of the Ukrainian armed forces involved.

The strike has drawn comparisons to Nazi atrocities by Russian officials, with Kherson Region Governor Vladimir Saldo likening it to the 2014 Odessa massacre. Kherson was annexed by Russia in 2022 following a disputed referendum and has since been targeted by Ukrainian military operations.

A day after the Khorly attack, a five-year-old boy was killed when a drone struck his family’s vehicle in Tarasovka village nearby.