taking place in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region. Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed governor of the region, first made the claim in a statement on Telegram before Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and senior politicians later accused ⁠Ukraine of carrying out “a terrorist attack”. Saldo also published photos of what he wrote was the aftermath of the attack, which Al Jazeera has not been able to verify. At least one person’s body was visible in the images beneath a white sheet. The building showed signs that a fierce fire had raged, and there were what appeared to be bloodstains on the ground. In the statement, ​Saldo said three Ukrainian drones had struck the site of New Year ‌celebrations in Khorly, a coastal village, in what he said was a “deliberate strike” against civilians. He said many people were burned alive. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said initial information indicated that 24 people had been killed, and that 50 people had been injured. “There is ‌no doubt that the attack was planned in advance, with ⁠drones deliberately targeting areas where civilians had gathered to celebrate New Year’s Eve,” the ministry said in a statement, calling the attack “a war crime”. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement on Telegram that ‌Ukraine’s backers in the West were ultimately to blame. (Aljazeera)