A Ukrainian drone on Monday crashed on a beach in Gelendzhik, a Russian Black Sea resort town in the Krasnodar region, killing at least seven civilians, including three children, according to local officials, as Ukraine’s US-backed drone operations continue to kill a significant number of civilians.
Footage on social media verified by Reuters shows what appears to be a drone crashing onto a crowded beach and causing an explosion. Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev accused Ukraine of deliberately targeting civilians, while Ukrainian media alleged the drone was downed by Russian air defenses and fell short of its intended target, though Kondratyev denied that there was military infrastructure in the area.
A Ukrainian kamikaze drone hit a beach in Gelendzhik, Russia; killing 4 people and injuring 13 others. pic.twitter.com/EER8zd3ldd
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 3, 2026
“What happened today is a targeted attack by the Kyiv regime against civilians who have no connection to the military infrastructure,” Kondratyev wrote on Telegram. “This cynical and inhumane terrorist attack against children cannot be justified.”
The incident came about one week after a Ukrainian drone hit a holiday camp in Kyrylivka, a resort area on the Sea of Azov in the Russian-controlled part of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast, killing 12 people, including five children.
Russian officials also reported that three people were killed by Ukrainian drone attacks on Crimea and that a warehouse belonging to Wildberries, a Russian online retailer, was set ablaze in the Vladimir region. Wildberries’ facilities have become frequent targets of Ukrainian drones in recent weeks.
Russian attacks also hit Ukraine on Monday, with The Associated Press reporting that one person was killed and dozens were wounded when Russian warplanes dropped glide bombs on the city of Zaporizhzhia.
