©Sergey Beschastnykh via Unsplash
Four people, including a child, were killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian resort town of Gelendzhik on the Black Sea, according to Russian authorities. Ten others were injured in the attack, which, according to the governor of the Krasnodar region, targeted civilian infrastructure.
The casualties occurred in Arkhipo-Osipovka, a town just south of Gelendzhik, where, according to regional authorities, drone debris fell. Governor Veniamin Kondratyev called the incident a “tragedy” and said that two adults and a child were taken to the hospital. Unconfirmed footage is also circulating on social media that appears to show a drone crashing onto a beach, followed by a massive explosion.
"We do not target civilian targets"
There was no immediate response to the report from Kyiv on Monday. Both Russia and Ukraine generally claim they do not attack civilian targets, although the war regularly leads to accusations of attacks on civilian infrastructure on both sides. Russian authorities did not release any further details about the type of drone or the extent of the damage to the resort.
Russians no longer safe on vacation
The attack is part of a wave of reciprocal drone strikes that have further shifted the war onto Russian territory in recent months, particularly in southern regions around the Black Sea and the border areas. Russia had previously reported multiple fatalities from attacks involving drone debris in the Krasnodar region, while Ukraine stated that it had struck Russian military and energy facilities. The latest report underscores how the air war is increasingly affecting areas where civilians are on vacation during the summer months.