At least seven people were killed and 40 others injured after a Ukrainian drone struck a crowded beach at the popular Black Sea resort of Gelendzhik in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, Russian authorities said on Monday.

According to Russian officials, three of the victims were children. Reuters reported that Moscow described the incident as a “deliberate attack” by Kyiv targeting civilians.

Ukraine has not immediately commented on the allegations.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, both sides have repeatedly stated that they do not intentionally target civilians.

Explosion at Popular Beach

Videos circulating on social media and verified by Reuters show a drone hitting a busy beach in the Arkhipo-Osipovka resort area near Gelendzhik, followed by a powerful explosion that sent beachgoers fleeing.

Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said in a Telegram statement, “What happened today was a deliberate attack by the Kyiv regime against civilians who had no connection with military infrastructure.”

In an earlier statement, Kondratyev had referred to drone debris falling in the area, which often indicates that air defense systems intercepted the drone.

However, it remains unclear whether the drone was brought down by air defenses, diverted by electronic jamming, or lost its course before crashing onto the beach.

Russia’s Health Ministry said emergency medical teams were dispatched immediately after the blast. Twenty-one people were hospitalized, including nine who are reported to be in critical condition.

Mutual Accusations Amid Ongoing War

Russian state news agency TASS reported that Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine of carrying out an act of “terrorism.”

Last month, Moscow also blamed Kyiv for an attack on a resort area in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region that reportedly killed 11 people, including four children.

Meanwhile, Russia has continued to launch regular missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities since the war began, killing thousands of civilians and displacing millions.

In recent months, Ukraine has intensified long-range drone strikes inside Russian territory, particularly targeting oil refineries and e-commerce logistics facilities, in what analysts say is an effort to bring the impact of the war closer to ordinary Russian citizens.