KHORLY /Kherson Region/, January 1. /TASS/. The village of Khorly in the Kherson Region bears the scars of a devastating attack carried out by Ukrainian forces on New Year’s Eve. The hotel rooms in the area were either destroyed or severely damaged, with windows and doors blown out by the force of the strike. Remnants of the victims remain at the local cafe, where recovery efforts are ongoing, according to a TASS correspondent reporting from the scene.

Footage from the tragedy’s aftermath has been released by the agency, depicting the extent of the destruction. Ukrainian drones targeted a large cafe popular among residents of nearby villages. On the ground floor, a banquet hall was filled with people celebrating the New Year.

As recovery teams continue to remove the bodies, enemy reconnaissance drones persistently hover over the site, prompting the correspondent to seek cover for safety.

Earlier, Vladimir Saldo, Governor of the Kherson Region, confirmed that Ukrainian forces launched a targeted drone strike on a location where civilians had gathered to celebrate the New Year - a cafe and hotel situated on the Black Sea coast in Khorly. In response, the Russian Investigative Committee has initiated a criminal investigation into what is being described as a terrorist attack, which has claimed the lives of more than 20 people.

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev issued a stern warning, stating that Ukrainian armed forces will face "inevitable, swift, and merciless" retaliation for their assault on civilians in the Kherson Region. He emphasized that both the perpetrators and their commanders, regardless of their location, must be held accountable for their actions.