Ukraine denies Moscow claim of deadly hotel strike

MOSCOW

This hadout photo released by Russia-appointed governor of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, shows the site of a Ukrainian drone attack on the hotel in Khroly on Jan. 1.

The Ukrainian army said on Jan. 2 it only hit "military targets," a day after after Russia accused Kiev of firing drones at a hotel and cafe in Ukraine's occupied south killing 27.

Russian-installed authorities in Ukraine's southern Kherson region said those killed were revellers celebrating the New Year and that two of the dead were children, describing the incident as a "terrorist act."

A source in Ukraine's defense forces confirmed a strike took place, but said the attack targeted a military gathering that was closed to civilians.

The hotel where Moscow says the strike took place lies in Khorly, a Black Sea resort town that the Russian army has occupied since early 2022.

In comments to AFP, Ukrainian army spokesman Dmytro Lykhoviy accused Russia of repeatedly resorting to "disinformation and false statements."

"Ukraine's Defense Forces adhere to the norms of international humanitarian law and strike exclusively at enemy military targets," he said.

The accusation comes at a crunch moment in the nearly four-year conflict, the deadliest on European soil since World War II.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a New Year's Eve address late on Dec. 31 that a US-brokered peace deal was "90 percent" ready, though the most important issue of territory remains unresolved.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, describing it as a "special military operation" to prevent the expansion of NATO,  a war aim that Kiev has called a lie.

Moscow has since captured large swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine, while firing on Ukrainian towns and cities in daily drone and missile attacks that have left civilians dead.