Ignoring Ukrainian acts of “terrorism” is tantamount to “open complicity,” Russia’s UN mission in Geneva has said

Russia has condemned Western countries for failing to react to the deadly Ukrainian drone strike on a civilian New Year’s Eve celebration in Kherson Region, calling their silence a sign of “complicity” in Kiev's “bloody crimes.”

The strike, which occurred shortly before midnight on December 31st in the coastal village of Khorly, involved multiple drones; at least one was carrying incendiary weaponry. Russian officials have reported that at least 27 people were killed, including a five-year-old boy.

“We resolutely condemn this outrageous act of barbarity by Zelensky and his clique, who have long since transformed into bloodthirsty monsters,” Gennady Gatilov, Russia’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, said in a statement.

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“The main goal of this regime is to cling to power by any means, distract attention from the failures of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and disrupt any attempts to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” he added.

Gatilov demanded that UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and the relevant UN agencies publicly condemn the attack “without delay.” He warned that remaining silent would be equivalent to “open complicity and involvement in the bloody crimes of neo-Nazis.”

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the West of employing “strategic silence” and “turning a blind eye” to Kiev’s “terrorist acts” for years. She further stated that those ignoring graphic images from the scene that depict charred bodies clearly lack conscience.

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Kherson Region Governor Vladimir Saldo described the attack as comparable to the May 2014 Odessa massacre, when dozens of pro-Russian activists were killed in a fire.

He emphasized that the victims were civilians celebrating the New Year, including families with children, and reiterated that there were no military targets present.

Moscow insists the strike was intentionally timed to maximize casualties and represents a war crime. Russian officials have drawn parallels to the atrocities committed by Nazi forces during World War II, accusing Ukraine of deliberate brutality and dehumanization.

READ MORE: ‘A monstrous crime’: Russia condemns deadly Ukrainian New Year’s Eve drone strike

Kherson Region, together with Zaporozhye Region and the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, joined Russia in the fall of 2022 as a result of local referendums.

The region has become a prime target for indiscriminate Ukrainian attacks. The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case into the latest incident, classifying it as a “terrorist act.”