Death from New Year drone strike in Kherson region rises to 29

MOSCOW - The death toll from a New Year drone strike on a cafe and a hotel complex in the Kherson region has risen to 29, including two children, Russian investigators said on Sunday.

Svetlana Petrenko, spokesperson for the Investigative Committee of Russia, said at least 60 people were injured in the attack. Fifteen victims remain hospitalized, three of them in serious condition.

The large-scale attack occurred overnight on Jan 1, when Ukrainian armed forces used unmanned aerial vehicles to strike a cafe and a hotel complex in the village of Khorly in the Kherson region.

Petrenko added that forensic specialists are conducting genetic examinations to identify the victims and the identities of 12 of the deceased have been confirmed.

Fragments of several drones were recovered at the scene and investigators are working to determine their type, place of manufacture and the explosive power of the munitions they carried.

Russian authorities said a thorough investigation is underway and those responsible for the attack would be brought to justice.