Ukrainian Drone Attack on Kherson Hotel: 24 People Killed 

By Staff, Agencies 

At least 24 people were killed and 50 others injured after Ukrainian drones struck a hotel and a café in Russia's Kherson region early Thursday, according to the region’s governor.

The official said the attack targeted civilian facilities, causing extensive damage and a high number of casualties. Emergency services were dispatched to the site as rescue operations continued throughout the morning.

In a separate statement, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 168 Ukrainian drones overnight across multiple regions of the country.

According to the ministry, 61 drones were shot down over the Bryansk region, 25 over Krasnodar, 23 over Tula, and 16 over Crimea. Air defenses also intercepted 12 drones over Moscow, nine of which were flying toward Moscow itself. An additional seven drones were downed over Kaluga, while 24 were intercepted over the waters of the Sea of Azov.

Meanwhile, Russia’s General Staff reported significant territorial gains over the past year. In a briefing submitted to President Vladimir Putin, the military said Russian forces had taken control of 6,460 square kilometers of territory and 334 towns during 2025.

The report claimed Ukrainian forces are currently unable to launch effective counteroffensives, while Russian troops continue advancing and achieving breakthroughs deep inside Ukrainian defensive positions.

In a statement, the ministry said that between 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm Moscow time, Russian forces shot down the drones across multiple areas, with the highest numbers recorded over Belgorod and Bryansk regions.
“Between 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm Moscow time, Russian forces destroyed 132 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones: 46 drones over the Belgorod region, 42 over the Bryansk region, 15 over the Kaluga region, 12 over the Moscow region, seven over the Kursk region, four over the Lipetsk region, two over the Ryazan region, two over the Oryol region, one drone over the Tula region, and one drone over the Republic of Crimea,” the statement said.

On Tuesday, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced the capture of two settlements across separate frontlines as ground operations continue to intensify. 

The ministry said troops from its eastern formation had advanced deeper into Ukrainian defensive positions, announcing the takeover of Andreevka, also known as Andriivka, in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

“The units of the Vostok [East] group of forces continued to advance into the depth of the enemy's defenses and liberated the settlement of Andreevka, Dnepropetrovsk region,” the ministry said.

The claim signals a reported push beyond traditional combat zones in eastern Ukraine, as Dnipropetrovsk borders frontline regions but has largely remained outside sustained ground occupation since the start of the conflict.