Veniamin Kondratiev reports seven deaths in southern Russia after drone debris falls on crowded beach resort
Veniamin Kondratiev, the governor of Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, reported that at least seven people, including three children, were killed and nearly 40 others were injured when drone debris fell on a crowded beach resort in the city of Gelendzhik. The incident occurred on Monday at the resort of Arkhipo-Osipovka, where the drone appeared to be shot down by Russian air defenses before bursting into a ball of flames. While Russian authorities claim the strike was a deliberate Ukrainian attack on civilians, Ukrainian officials, such as Andriy Kovalenko, attributed the fault to Russian air defense forces for failing to provide adequate alerts. Andriy Kovalenko noted that Ukraine typically targets military and economic infrastructure rather than civilians. The strike occurred near the Novorossiysk Naval Base and a reported palace of Vladimir Putin. This event highlights the ongoing exchange of attacks between Russia and Ukraine, where both sides deny targeting civilians directly.