Ukraine denies targeting civilians in deadly Kherson drone strike
Ukraine has categorically rejected Russian claims that its New Year's Eve drone attack on occupied Kherson deliberately killed civilians, amid concerns that the disputed incident could undermine ongoing U.S.-led efforts to broker an end to the nearly four-year war.
Russian-installed authorities reported at least 27 deaths, including two children, when Ukrainian drones struck a hotel and a café in the Black Sea coastal village of Khorly during New Year's celebrations. Ukrainian military officials countered that their operations adhere strictly to international humanitarian law, targeting only enemy military objectives. A Ukrainian defense source told AFP the strike hit a closed military gathering inaccessible to civilians, while geolocated footage from The Moscow Times pinpointed the site at the Café Ukrayinska Khata next to the Hotel Leo, which has been shuttered since February 2022.
The episode unfolds against a backdrop of intensifying peace talks. In his New Year's address, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a U.S.-negotiated peace deal is 90% complete, though unresolved issues particularly territorial disputes will shape the future of Ukraine, Europe, and lasting stability. U.S. officials earlier this week confirmed broad agreement among Washington, Kyiv, and key European allies on roughly 90% of the deal's terms.
Separately, the CIA assessed that Ukraine did not target President Vladimir Putin or his residences in a recent drone incident, contradicting Moscow's assertions. This intelligence, relayed to President Donald Trump by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, undercuts Russia's narrative of an assassination attempt on Putin's Valdaï residence, which it cited to justify a harder negotiating stance.
In a leadership shake-up, Zelenskyy appointed 39-year-old military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov as his new chief of staff on Friday, replacing Andriy Yermak, who resigned in November amid a corruption probe. Budanov, renowned for bold operations against Russia, will now oversee security matters and diplomatic negotiations at a pivotal moment. Zelenskyy also announced high-level meetings in early January, including a January 5 gathering of military chiefs to address security guarantees and a January 6 summit of the Volunteers Coalition leaders in France.
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