The tragic event at Gelendzhik beach left a chilling impact. A drone slammed into the sand, exploding into flames, amidst numerous vacationers enjoying the turquoise waters. Russian officials reported that seven individuals, including three children, lost their lives. Additionally, 58 others sustained injuries from the explosion in this Black Sea resort town.
The incident was captured in a video shared widely on social media, with verification by NBC News. Moscow accused Ukraine of deliberately targeting civilians, actions that would qualify as war crimes. In response, Russia launched aerial strikes against Ukraine.
Ukraine’s role in the attack remains unconfirmed, yet there was no denial from Ukrainian officials. Veniamin Kondratyev, governor of the Krasnodar region, described the strike as a deliberate attack by Kyiv on civilians. According to him, the victims had no military affiliations, calling it a heartless act of terror.
“There can be no justification for such a cynical and inhumane terrorist act targeting children,” Kondratyev stated.
This explosion is part of Ukraine’s broader strategy to bring the conflict closer to Moscow. Recent attacks targeted shipping vessels, oil sites, warehouses, and ammunition depots. Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Kyiv has utilized cost-effective drones extensively. Some have hit targets successfully, though many are intercepted.
Between July 24 and July 31, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova reported that Ukraine’s drones and artillery shelling resulted in 61 deaths and over 320 injuries.
Following the Gelendzhik explosion, Andriy Kovalenko, from Ukraine’s Centre for Countering Disinformation, criticized Russian actions. He attributed the civilian deaths to Putin’s war initiation and subsequent military actions.
“Russian air defense shot down a drone onto people lying on the beach. It was Putin who killed these Russians,” Kovalenko stated.
Kovalenko also blamed Putin for minimizing Ukrainian attacks, creating a deceptive sense of security. He suggested this illusion led to public inaction during alerts, which are inconsistently issued in Russia.
On Tuesday, another attack targeted a warehouse in Leningrad, as confirmed by regional governor Aleksandr Drozdenko.
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