Russia said on Monday that seven people, including three children, were killed and around 40 others injured after what it described as a Ukrainian drone attack on the Black Sea resort of Gelendzhik.
The attack reportedly struck a crowded beach area near the resort town, triggering a powerful explosion. Videos circulating on social media, which Reuters verified, appeared to show a drone hitting the beach before exploding.
Reuters confirmed the video's location by matching buildings, the coastline and surrounding trees with satellite and archived imagery. However, it could not independently verify the type of drone used.
Ukrainian authorities did not immediately comment on the incident. Both Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly said they do not deliberately target civilians during the war that began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Krasnodar regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev described the incident as a tragedy, saying the attack targeted the holiday village of Arkhipo-Osipovka, part of the greater Gelendzhik resort area.
"What happened today was a deliberate attack by the Kyiv regime on the civilian population, which has no connection whatsoever to military infrastructure," Kondratyev said in a statement on Telegram.
Authorities said specialist disaster medical teams were deployed to the scene, while Russia's health ministry reported that 21 people, including three children, were taken to hospitals. Nine of the injured were said to be in serious condition.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, quoted by state news agency TASS, accused Ukraine of carrying out a terrorist attack.
The reported strike comes amid an escalation of long-range attacks deep inside Russian territory. Ukraine has increasingly targeted infrastructure such as oil refineries and logistics facilities, saying the campaign is intended to raise the cost of the war for Russia.
Russia, meanwhile, has continued its missile and drone attacks across Ukraine throughout the conflict. Thousands of civilians have been killed since the war began, with the majority of civilian casualties occurring in Ukraine, according to international monitoring groups.
Posted by: Alma Angeles/NET25 NEWS
