At least seven people, including three children, have been killed and 40 others injured after a drone struck a crowded beach in southern Russia, local authorities said.
Krasnodar Region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said the attack occurred near the village of Arkhipo-Osipovka on the Black Sea, a popular holiday destination for Russian tourists.
Seventeen of the injured were taken to hospital, according to Kondratyev, who accused Ukraine of carrying out a “deliberate strike on civilians”. Ukraine has not commented on the incident.
Footage verified by the BBC showed a drone flying towards a cliffside before crashing into a fireball on the beach, as tourists watched from the shoreline and the water.
The circumstances surrounding the crash remain unclear, including what the drone was targeting.
Some Ukrainian Telegram channels claimed the drone may have crashed after electronic warfare disrupted its signal, while eyewitnesses quoted by Russian media said they heard gunfire before the explosion, suggesting Russian air defences may have attempted to intercept it.
Residents and tourists said there were no warning sirens before the incident.
One holidaymaker told local media that people covered themselves with sun loungers after hearing the explosion, while another said they heard what sounded like machine-gun fire before the blast.
“This all happened in front of my children. My child is having a nervous breakdown,” another witness said.
Arkhipo-Osipovka is known for its warm climate, long beaches and extensive tourist infrastructure and has become particularly popular with Russian holidaymakers amid restrictions and sanctions affecting international travel.
The incident comes as Ukraine has intensified long-range drone attacks deep inside Russian territory, targeting energy infrastructure and commercial facilities it says are linked to Moscow’s military operations.
Several civilian deaths have been reported in connection with recent Ukrainian strikes, including eight people killed in different Russian cities over the weekend.
Early Tuesday, drones also struck a warehouse facility near St Petersburg, regional Governor Alexander Drozdenko said, although he did not identify the facility.
Russia, meanwhile, has continued to launch missile and drone attacks across Ukraine since its full-scale invasion began in February 2022, with thousands of civilians killed or injured.
On Saturday, at least nine people were killed and dozens injured in Russian ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a residential building in the Shevchenkivskyi district was partially destroyed.
Last week, a Russian strike on a building in Ukraine’s Kryvyi Rih area killed a family of 10.
In recent weeks, Ukrainian forces have also repeatedly targeted warehouses operated by Wildberries, a major Russian online retailer sometimes described as the country’s equivalent of Amazon.
The latest reported strike hit a Wildberries warehouse in the Vladimir region, east of Moscow, overnight on Monday.
Kyiv claims the company’s depots are used to supply the Russian military, while Moscow rejects the allegation. The retailer has previously sold military-related products, including body armour, as well as goods with both civilian and potential drone-production applications.
Erizia Rubyjeana
