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The Ukrainian service said connected Friday (January 2, 2026) it lone deed "military targets", a time aft Russia accused Kyiv of firing drones astatine a edifice and cafe successful Ukraine's occupied south, sidesplitting 27 people.
Russian-installed authorities successful Ukraine's confederate Kherson portion said those killed were revellers celebrating the New Year and that 2 of the dormant were children, describing the incidental arsenic a "terrorist act".
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A root successful Ukraine's defence forces confirmed a onslaught took place, but said the onslaught targeted a subject gathering that was closed to civilians.
AFP was not capable to verify either account.
The edifice wherever Moscow says the onslaught took spot lies successful Khorly, a Black Sea edifice municipality the Russian service has occupied since aboriginal 2022.
The region's Russian-installed governor, Vladimir Saldo, published images connected Thursday that appeared to amusement the burned-out interior of a gathering arsenic good arsenic fragments of charred bodies.
In comments to AFP, Ukrainian service spokesperson Dmytro Lykhoviy accused Russia of repeatedly resorting to "disinformation and mendacious statements".
"Ukraine's Defence Forces adhere to the norms of planetary humanitarian instrumentality and onslaught exclusively astatine force subject targets," helium said.
Ukraine's overseas quality work said successful a connection earlier Friday that Russia was preparing to orchestrate a "large-scale provocation with quality casualties", without providing contiguous evidence.
The accusations travel astatine a crunch infinitesimal successful the astir four-year conflict, the deadliest connected European ungraded since World War II.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said successful a New Year's Eve code that a US-brokered bid woody was "90 percent" ready, though the astir important contented of territory remains unresolved.
Russia invaded Ukraine successful February 2022, describing it arsenic a "special subject operation" to forestall the enlargement of NATO -- a warfare purpose that Kyiv has called a lie.
Moscow has since captured ample swathes of eastbound and confederate Ukraine, portion firing connected Ukrainian towns and cities successful regular drone and rocket attacks deadly for civilians.
