Ukraine, Dec 03 : The death toll from a drone attack on a café and a hotel in Khorly, located in Ukraine’s Kherson region, has risen to 28, regional governor Vladimir Saldo said on Thursday, as quoted by Russian news agency TASS.
“Three people died in the hospital, so the number of those killed now stands at 28. More than 100 people were in the café at the time of the attack, and over 60 were affected,” Saldo said.
According to the governor, the attack occurred on January 1, when civilians had gathered to celebrate the New Year. He said 31 people, including five children, were hospitalised following the incident.
Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that Russian forces struck the city of Kharkiv with missiles. In a post on X, Zelenskyy said two missiles hit a residential area, causing severe damage to buildings.
“A heinous Russian strike on Kharkiv. Preliminary reports indicate two missiles struck an ordinary residential area. One of the buildings has been severely damaged. A rescue operation is currently underway, with all necessary services on site,” Zelenskyy said, adding that the exact number of casualties was still unknown.
However, Russia’s Defence Ministry denied carrying out any missile or air strikes on Kharkiv on January 2, calling the claims false, according to Sputnik.
“Information about the alleged strike on the city of Kharkov by the Russian Armed Forces on January 2 of this year is untrue,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that no such operation was planned or conducted.
The ministry further claimed that allegations regarding Kharkiv were intended to divert international attention from what it described as a Ukrainian drone attack on civilians in Khorly in the Kherson region overnight into January 1.