The Russian-installed governor of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region accused Ukraine on Thursday of killing at least 24 people, including a child, in a drone strike on a hotel and cafe where New Year celebrations were being held.

The governor, Vladimir Saldo, made the allegation in a statement on the Telegram messaging service. A local pro-Russian news outlet published pictures of a badly damaged building, where it said the strike took place.

At least one dead body was visible beneath a white sheet. The building showed signs that a fierce fire had raged and there were what looked like blood stains on the ground.

Ukraine's military did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Reuters was not able to immediately verify the images or the allegation.

Saldo said in his post that 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 that many people had been burnt alive.

Russian state news agencies reported that at least 24 people had been killed and 29 more injured, citing the local branch of Russia's emergencies ministry.

In a post on Telegram, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the strike had resulted in five children being hospitalised. She said that Ukraine's backers in the West were ultimately to blame for what she described as Kyiv's "terrorist" actions.

The speaker of Russia's senate, Valentina Matviyenko, also condemned the attack on her Telegram channel.

Kherson is one of four regions in Ukraine which Russia claimed as its own in 2022, a move Kyiv and most Western countries condemned as an illegal land grab.