Source: Occupiers’ New Year’s party in Khorly was legitimate military target

02.01.2026 14:15

Ukrinform

The strike by the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine on a concentration of Russian invaders in Khorly, in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region, which is a legitimate military target, does not violate international law and is in accordance with Ukraine's right to armed resistance against aggression.

This was reported to Ukrinform by a source in the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine.

As the agency's interlocutor noted, on the night of December 31, 2025, to January 1, 2026, a series of explosions were heard in the occupied settlement of Khorly — targeted strikes were carried out on facilities where Russian occupiers were resting.

According to the source, the Russian army and the occupation administration suffered significant losses as a result of the attack.

Among those eliminated was the former so-called “head” of the Kalanchak police occupation department, Serhii Bohan.

The source also noted that representatives of the aggressor state's special services took part in the New Year's feast in occupied Khorly, which, in particular, explains the increased activity of Kremlin propaganda after the strike.

“Nighttime revelry in cafes and hotels in Khorly, which was impossible for the civilian population due to the curfew and strict counterintelligence regime, was accompanied by alcohol consumption and loud behavior on the part of the occupiers, FSB employees, and police officers,” the source added.

According to him, in general, there are almost no local residents left in the resort village of Khorly, which is surrounded by the invaders' checkpoints. Most residential buildings, recreation centers, and other real estate have been illegally confiscated by the Russian occupation administration and occupied by Russian invaders.

The Security and Defense Forces emphasized that there are no safe places for the invaders in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine, and there will not be any.

“Anyone involved in waging a criminal war against the Ukrainian people is a legitimate military target,” the source stressed.

As reported earlier, the Center for Investigative Journalism reported that the head of the occupation police in Kalanchak, Serhii Bohan, was killed during a strike in the village of Khorly in the temporarily occupied territory of Kherson region.