Drone attack on Crimea hotel? At least 24 killed; Russia blames Ukraine

Russia connected Thursday said astatine slightest 24 radical were killed and much than 50 injured successful a Ukrainian drone onslaught connected a edifice and café wherever New Year celebrations were underway successful the occupied Kherson region.

Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed politician of Ukraine’s confederate Kherson region, said the onslaught took spot successful Khorly, a coastal colony adjacent the Russian-controlled Crimean Peninsula.In a station connected Telegram, Saldo said the drone onslaught deed a edifice and café crowded with radical celebrating the New Year, Reuters reported.The assertion comes amid heightened tensions aft Russia’s defence ministry released night-time footage that it said showed the wreckage of a Ukrainian drone changeable down adjacent 1 of President Vladimir Putin’s residences successful north-west Russia.

Moscow described the alleged incidental arsenic a "terrorist act" and a "personal attack" connected Putin, allegations that Kyiv has firmly denied, calling them fabricated.The video, published connected Wednesday, shows a damaged unmanned aerial conveyance lying successful snowfall successful a wooded area. According to the defence ministry, the drone was intercepted during what it described arsenic a "mass launch" targeting Putin’s residence successful the Novgorod portion connected the nighttime of December 28–29.

Russian officials claimed that 91 drones were launched during the incidental and said each were intercepted by aerial defences. The ministry said the drone carried a six-kilogram explosive charge, but added that the residence was not damaged.The defence ministry said the alleged onslaught was "targeted, cautiously planned and carried retired successful stages."Reuters could not verify the attack.