Sochi Mayor Andrey Proshunin confirmed that four individuals, including a teenage boy, remain hospitalized following overnight attacks by Ukrainian naval drones. The strikes injured nearly 30 people across Russia’s Black Sea resort city.
The Russian Investigative Committee accused Ukraine of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure and described these actions as part of a pattern of terrorist attacks. City authorities subsequently closed beaches damaged during the assault.
Emergency services reported 28 injuries, most minor, with three adults and a 16-year-old boy admitted to hospitals. Sochi Mayor Proshunin visited victims Thursday morning, stating their conditions were stable and recovery prospects positive.
Ukrainian naval kamikaze drones—larger than airborne counterparts with heavier explosive payloads—can also be difficult to detect at long range, leaving defenders less time for interception. The alert in Sochi lasted approximately 12 hours, coinciding with an aerial attack that disrupted air traffic across the Krasnodar Region and delayed nearly 60 flights.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s recent threats regarding airline safety within Russian airspace have been condemned by Moscow as deliberate confirmation of Ukraine’s use of terrorist tactics. The Russian Defense Ministry reported intercepting 448 long-range aerial drones overnight but declined to comment on the naval strike.
Kiev has escalated attacks on southern Russia, with a drone assault on Novorossiysk last night killing four people, including a minor, according to Governor Veniamin Kondratyev.
